Meet Your Boca Raton City Council Seat C Candidates: Kim Do
By: Michael Demyan
Kim Do will be running against incumbent Jeremy Rodgers for City Council Seat C in the upcoming election on March 13.
Originally from Vietnam, Do came to the United States in 1983 and she moved to Boca Raton about a year ago. She received a bachelor’s degree in accountancy at the University of San Diego and went on to become a certified public accountant the same year. She also earned a JD at the University of Washington and a tax law degree at Georgetown University.
After spending time in Washington. D.C., Do went back to Vietnam and became an in-house counsel for a private equity fund. She was also the Head of Legal and Compliance for Eastspring Investments.
This will be the first time Do will be running for political office.
“I first heard about Jeremy running unopposed, so I was intrigued,” she said. “I thought it’s an American value to have competition. Nobody should win by default. The voters should have a choice.”
Do believes that Boca Raton needs to be weary of overdevelopment, however she realizes that it cannot be stopped altogether. She said that the best course of action would be to really listen to the residents about how they feel.
“I don’t think it’s realistic to say stop development and zero growth, but we can have smart growth,” she said.
One of Do’s major campaign issues is traffic and public transportation. She said that Boca needs to have more options for public transportation, which will in turn alleviate some of the issues of busy streets throughout the city.
“We have close to 250,000 people coming into the city to work and then they leave at night, but if they can use the train and other public transportation, that will eliminate a lot of the traffic coming through the city, so it will increase quality of life for everyone, including people who drive,” she said.
Do said that she wants to be someone who listens to the people and takes action for them as she strives to better their quality of life. Many residents were in favor of turning the Wildflower property into a park, so she was happy to see it turned into a reality.
“I believes that’s part of the elected official’s responsibility is to act based on the wish of the people,” she said.
While the Boca Raton City Council is currently focused on the possibility of a new elementary school being brought to the city, Do is also in favor of a new high school, explaining that while a new elementary school is great, it is necessary to also pay attention to the higher levels in education.
“When all these kids grow up, where are they going to go? They need a new high school,” she said. “The high school is just as crucial, if not even more crucial to their learning because from there, they are going to go to college.”
Do also pointed out that due to her background in business, she would make sure that the city budget continues to be healthy.
“Boca is a wealthy city but our expenditures have been rising faster than our revenue by 1-2 percent, so in the last approved budget, the city manger highlighted in bold that it is critical we pay closer attention to the rising costs of services,” she said.
Do realizes that she is fairly new to Boca Raton, however she feels she will be able to use her new perspective and knowledge to come in and get things done for the Boca residents.
“I don’t just talk, I Do.”
The Boca Raton Tribune will be hosting a candidate forum at the Wayne Barton Study Center, 269 NE 14th Street, Boca Raton on Thursday, March 8 at 6.p.m. The event is free and open to the public, however, due to seat limitations, you must register online by clicking here to receive your complimentary ticket.
