Voters in South Omaha’s City Council District 4 will see three candidates on their ballots: Jim Rogers, Vinny Palermo, and Rebecca Barrientos-Patlan. There is an official write-in candidate as well, Kimara Snipe. However, her name will not appear on the ballot.
Jim Rogers, a Democrat, is a South Omaha native and the former Outreach Director for Congressman Brad Ashford as well as a past Executive Director of the Nebraska Democratic Party. He sees the cultural diversity and mix of heritages of the district as enormous assets. Rogers says he is running to ensure the citizens of South Omaha receive their fair share of essential city services, neighborhood development, and grant projects. He believes it is critical to train the city’s workforce for the jobs of tomorrow. Rogers wants the city to have a more robust economy and create tourist destinations to compliment attractions such as the Zoo and College World Series.
When it comes to immigration enforcement, Rogers does not believe local law enforcement should act as an arm of the federal government. “There are too many existing duties for our police to start adding additional tasks that are not the scope of city government,” he said.
When asked about the proposed streetcar from downtown Omaha to Midtown, he said he does not see it as a top priority. “When the residential streets in South Omaha and other parts of the city are in such poor condition, I would prefer to see those basic street conditions addressed first,” explained Rogers.
Vinny Palermo, a Democrat, is a member of Omaha Public School Board representing Subdistrict 9. Palermo was elected to the board in November and will have to give up that position if elected to Omaha’s City Council.
Palermo is the president of VIBO, Inc. a tree trimming and removal service. He says he hopes to continue improving public safety, encouraging neighborhood development, and provide equitable city services for the community. Palermo is active in American GI Forum, South Omaha American Legion, South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance, and the Gomez Heritage PTO among other organizations.
Palermo was born and raised in South Omaha and is a veteran of the United States Navy. He has three children.
Rebecca Barrientos-Patlan, a Republican, is another South Omaha native and a proud South High graduate. She is the founder of the Burlington Road Neighborhood Association and has served on the Task Force for Abused & Neglected Children, South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance, and the South Omaha Environmental Task Force.
She spoke out against the Omaha School District’s revisions to their Sex Education Curriculum. “They’re not allowing us to teach our children what we want to teach them. They want to teach them what they want to teach and that’s not a good thing,” she argued. Barrientos-Patlan has been an advocate for stronger penalties for sex offenders and formed the group a Hand to Hold to help victims families. She also advocated for better communication and coordination between various law enforcement agencies regarding immigration violations following the death of Sarah Root by an undocumented man.
She and her husband, Virgil Patlan Sr., will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary this year. Barrientos-Patlan and her husband have four children and twenty grandchildren.
Kimara Snipe, a Democrat, is a business consultant for Heartland Workforce Solutions. She believes all too often people feel disconnected from public service and the governmental process. She sees several issues facing South Omaha including affordable housing, transportation, and safer neighborhoods.
Snipe does not see how the police can enforce immigration law and still develop a strong relationship with the refugee and immigrant communities. “Safety is the first priority, it’s difficult to keep our community safe if the citizens within it don’t trust the police department,” she explained. “OPD should continue to make every effort to continue our current 89% clearance rate and to community policing as they have been under the wonderful leadership of Chief Todd Schmaderer,” Snipe stated.
With regards to the proposed streetcar, Snipe believes if the city’s growth occurs as projected that it’s a wonderful proposal. “I appreciate the effort to limit any burden on taxpayers displayed in the current funding options that are being considered,” she explained. She would like to see more discussion of various options such as the Enhanced TIF District plan and is hopeful that this will lead to more discussion on our current busing system as well.

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