David Taber
Web Exclusive
EGLESTON SQ.—Tito Jackson—who ran for an at-large City Council seat—and Althea Garrison—a former one-term state rep.—are the first two to declare their intentions to seek the now-vacant District 7 City Council seat.
District 7 includes Egleston Square in Jamaica Plain. Former District 7 City Councilor Chuck Turner was voted off the council earlier this month following his felony conviction on corruption charges.
Jackson told the Gazette he is eager to pick up where the former councilor left off. “Councilor Turner really gave his life to representing the people of this area,” Jackson said. “My objective will be to not skip a beat. He has been a very effective leader in our community.”
Jackson, who formerly served as the information technology industry director at the state Office of Business Development, said that economic development in the district, which includes most of Roxbury, and parts of Dorchester, would be one of his key priorities.
“Driving around the district, all I see is opportunity,” he said. “:”We have to get things started again so folks in the community are able to get jobs. We need to make sure we are providing a world class education, so that people have the tools to compete.”
Jackson also said that public safety, and curbing gun violence in the district, is another one of his focuses. On recent shootings in and near Egleston Square, he said he wants to help makes sure that businesses, non-profits and residents continue to come together to “make sure we are all on the same page and moving in the same direction.”
“Violence is not good for anyone. This is something we need to nip in the bud,” he said.
“I intend to bring a different type of management style to the job,” Garrison, who runs for city or state elected office virtually every year, told the Gazette.
In a press release announcing her candidacy, she said her focus “will be to address the crime problem of kids killing kids, fight for real affordable housing, upgrading our public schools and fight for job creation.”
“If the voters of district 7 give me a chance, I believe I will far exceed their expectations,” Garrison said.
Garrison challenged Turner for his seat when he was reelected last year. At that time, she panned Turner to the Gazette: “I don’t think Chuck Turner is getting the job done,” she said, “I’ve lived in Boston 35 years, and I’ve seen District 7 totally destroyed.”
She declined to comment on Turner’s tenure in recent comments to the Gazette.