First and foremost, I want to thank my wife and family. Nothing I’ve accomplished would be possible without their support, and that’s more than just this election.
I also want to thank Mr. Shuey. Even though we were opponents in this election, I appreciate his many years of public service and for all he has done for the benefit of Clayton.
The results of this election showed that there has been an unmet desire for transparency that I hope to address, in part with regular updates on various social media platforms. With all the tools at our disposal today, there is no reason not to meet people where they are and interact how they want to interact.
By campaigning on a few key issues (the idea that Clayton should not be for sale, that we shouldn't have high density housing in our downtown, and that the downtown lot should be preserved for our festivals and events) voters were presented with a clear choice in this election. I look forward to working with the rest of the Council to bring these ideas to fruition.A consistent theme from other comments was in regard to divisiveness, and how the Council needs to work together. I certainly agree that the Council should work together - the first thing that should be done is abandon the idea that disagreement is divisive. Candor is of greater value than consensus. In the marketplace of ideas better outcomes can be achieved by testing the merits of ideas rather than practicing conflict avoidance.
In the coming months and years, I will be seeking input from everyone in conjunction with pursuing the ideas that I campaigned on. Transparency will permeate everything. Stay tuned here to find out more - the real work is just beginning.
