Candidate Profile: Lisa Gonzalez Moore

Moore grew up in Tampa, the daughter of Cuban immigrants. She attended the University of Florida for her undergrad studies and also earned her law degree from UF, where she met her husband, Fred. After graduation, the couple decided to move to Bradenton and start a family. They have now been living in Ward 4 for 22 years.

Moore says that she has been frustrated by the slow pace of transforming the ward, where the eastern portion of the river walk remains largely cut off from other downtown waterfront activity. With the pending sale and redevelopment of City Hall in the works and a new facility for both administration and the police department to follow, Moore believes that her background in real estate law can be an asset to the council.

Moore says that the city needs to have a better-articulated vision for future growth and wants to contribute via long-range strategic planning in which adequate investment in the city's infrastructure is made, while simultaneously striving to defray the tax burden from city residents by accessing the increased amount of federal grant money available for infrastructure projects.

Moore is running a grassroots campaign. As of the last reporting deadline, she had raised $16,500 through a combination of small donors and self-financing, trailing her two opponents, incumbent Bill Sanders and Planning Commission Chair Kurt Landefeld.

Moore recently appeared on The Bradenton Times podcast to discuss her candidacy. The episode can be found here.