As an elected-official,

MARK M. WHITAKER

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- Voted, EVERY YEAR, for 20 years to FULLY FUND EDUCATION and to increase pay for our teachers and staff to be competitive; 

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- Voted for the equitable distribution of city and school contracts;

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- Proposed and Voted for a Disparity Study that proved egregious discrimination in contracting exists in Portsmouth as evidenced by a statistically significant difference in the utilization of women and minority contractors versus white contractors by the Portsmouth Public Schools and the City of Portsmouth.  

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- Voted for funding the new Portsmouth Advanced Career Education Center (The P.A.C.E. Center)

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- Voted for free summer camp for the youth of Portsmouth

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- Voted for employing youth in internships and summer jobs

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- Voted against a recommendation from the City Manager to build a "waste dump" in Cavalier Manor or Brighton/Prentis Park;

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- Advocated for jobs with living wages;

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- Advocated and Voted for a Pay Equity Study to ensure equitable pay in Portsmouth Public Schools;

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- Voted for addressing Poverty by using a research based approach;

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- Advocated  for transparency in requiring an open-bid process in the development of the waterfront;

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- Advocated against the non-solicited bid process for developing the waterfront for lacking transparency and market utility;

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- Advocated for equity in the hiring of Police as recommended by President Obama's Task Force on  21st Century Policing;

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- Advocated for equity in the hiring of Firefighters;

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- Voted to examine means for reducing the tunnel toll;

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- Proposed and Voted to remove the Confederate Monument;

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- Advocated and Voted for Middle School Athletics Program;

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- Voted for the First College Program.