Rita Taylor works for the Indiana State Teachers Association as the racial and social justice organizer in the Government Relations Department.
While taping WNIN’s Shively & Shoulders on Monday, she said her then career with AT&T brought her to Evansville in 2007, but said she came to know the city through volunteer work.
“When I came here, I immediately got involved in the community,” she said. “I was a board member at the AIDS resource group for over 10 years. Was the President for several years there, (I’ve) been involved with many other community organizations.”
Taylor said she didn’t want to run against Mosby because she felt Mosby was doing a good job — but friends encouraged her to add her name as a candidate once the seat was open.
When asked about significant issues facing Evansville, she said "affordable housing" keeps coming up.
“Affordable housing is not really affordable housing," she said. "We have a lot of housing right now … they say it's at 'market rate' and things of that sort. I really believe in ‘attainable housing.’ And so there's a difference — you can have 'affordable' but sometimes people just really can't even afford that.”
She’s interested in incentive programs to make housing more affordable — such as covering the first and last month’s rent.
Taylor also said she’s not currently “personal friends” with her fellow city council members, and would like to get to know them better.
