EDITOR: My name is Sam Palmer and I am running for Globe City Council District 4.

When I was very young, I remember two things I wanted to do – politics and acting. I have been able to be able to do both since moving to Globe-Miami.

When I was 18, I couldn’t wait to register to vote but was told by a registrar that I couldn’t because I didn’t have a job. I wanted to register Independent. I have been blessed to be able to serve on the Miami Town Council and be on the local theater multiple times.

Who am I?

I am a high school dropout, with a GED, and some college who has been going to school ever since. The school called life.

I moved to the community 30 years ago to work for Bill Taylor’s radio station KISS FM. I have served on a political board - Miami Town Council twice, civic organizations – Lions club president, and various non-profit boards. I have done 20 years of tax preparation, recycling for a decade and other entrepreneurial attempts.

The meat of why I want to serve on the Globe City Council is first, why not? Globe Miami is my home of 30 years. Why not serve? I believe that our community needs to look at what we want to become as a community. That is a big what. Do we want growth for growth sake, or do we want to have an identifiable vision of what we want to become. Quality of growth is very important.

Our current path, led by Mayor Gameros is great. Improvements in roads, our parks, looking into affordable housing to retain worked who commute – all great stuff.

The current question still remains – who do we, as a community, want to become? A touristy vibrant downtown, with restaurants, arts and music scene? Do we want to be flooded with corporate American, and all things that come with it, which will come if we achieve goals of housing and growth?

If we don’t focus on the who we are as a community, and what we want to become, our future will be determined for us.

We want to have a mission of who we want to be as these changes happen.

Sam Palmer

Globe