GENERAL INFORMATION

Name: Gerald Kiner

Candidate for: City Council District 8, Position 3

Date of Birth: 02-13-1971

Occupation: Pastor

Educational Background:

• • High School: East High School, 1989
  • College: LeMoyne Owen College
  • Masters/Ph.D (if applicable): PhD

Family: One daughter, 23 years old and graduate of Hutchison All Girls School in Memphis and Berklee College of Music in Boston. She lives in Los Angelos.

Community Involvement: Founder- It Takes A Village To Raise A Child Mentors
Founder- Millionaire Church Boys
Founder- Godly Girlz Ministry
Founder- Love Debutante Program
Founder- JPC Prison Ministry
Founder- Daughters of Zion All Women’s Bible College
Founder- William & Johnson Career College
Founder- JPC Emergency Housing Shelter
Founder- Yes My Child Can Tutors
Founder- Vision 2023 Opioid Free- The Coalition for a Drug Free Shelby County

WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA

Official Campaign Website:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gerald.kiner

CANDIDATE SURVEY:

What background/experience distinguishes you from the other candidates who want voters to elect them?

kiner’s response:

I was a former student president of the NAACP in college and for the past 28 years I have been leading and creating organizations which are designed to uplift the masses.

What are the top three issues facing the City of Memphis?

Kiner’s response:

The crime epidemic. ( public safety )
The opioid and prescription drug epidemic.
The apathy epidemic.

What do you propose to address the three issues you rank as top priorities?

Kiner’s response:

#1 Increase Sky Cops throughout the district.
#2 Fund programs that address opioid abuse and prescription drugs abuse.
#3 Offer incentives to major corporations to recruit Fortune 500 companies to Memphis which would bring excitement , job growth, and pride back to our community.

Do you favor the call for a half-cent sales tax increase to restore healthcare and retirement benefits for police officers and firefighters cut in 2014?

Kiner’s response:

I favor funding police healthcare and retirement but not via a sales tax. There are other ways to generate the needed funds.

Do you think the local PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program needs to be reformed? If so, why and how?

Kiner’s response:

Yes, money needs to be allocate to areas that will make an impact addressing public safety ( Sky Cop security cameras throughout Memphis) ; combating the opioid and prescription drug epidemic; and the recruitment of Fortune 500 corporations to Memphis.

Do you see a risk of displacement and gentrification connected to the development boom in Memphis? If so, how would you address that risk from the position you seek?

Kiner’s response:

The real issue goes beyond gentrification. The real issue no one addresses is the relocation of the devastation- transporting the inner city poor into the black middle class neighborhoods which create middle class black flight which in turn helps transforms that former middle class neighborhood into a poor neighborhood. Addressing that issue publicly and adamantly would be my first way to address it.

African-American-owned businesses have made up only 1 percent of all Memphis business receipts for several decades. If elected, do you see playing a role in changing that statistic? If so, what do you think that role would entail?

Kiner’s response:

I would push for a minimum of 40% minority participation either as the general contractor or the sub.