BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Residents of Wards 2 and 3, which largely cover downtown Burlington and the Old North End were given a chance to speak to the Mayoral candidates, virtually over Zoom.
Peter Clavelle, the longest tenured Burlington mayor, says this gives candidates a first shot at explaining their platform to citizens.
“Also an opportunity for the candidates to listen to the issues and concerns on the minds of the citizens in Burlington. and hopefully after a series of forums and debates they’ll be able to make a better decision an informed decision as who best able to lead the city over the next three years” said, Clavelle, former Burlington mayor.
Democrat Incumbent Mayor Miro Weinberger highlighted how over the 9 years he’s been mayor, he’s brought massive infrastructure projects like the bus station and City Hall Park, kept municipal tax rates low, and also navigated Burlingtonians through the pandemic.
”Management is a huge part of the job of being mayor in Burlington. I do think this is one of the questions voters in this race need to ask themselves is right now in the middle of a pandemic in the middle of a deep recession is this the time to move away from tested proven leadership” said, Weinberger.
Meanwhile, Council President and Progressive Max Tracy has been on the council for nearly 9 years. He says it’s time for a change to ground city government in addressing the basic needs of citizens, taking a bold action combatting climate crisis and take a different approach to the housing crisis.
“I want to be a mayor that brings our community together around these shared values of equity and justice and making sure that we are not only addressing the basic needs of our neighbors in the context of the pandemic but also making real progress on the pressing issues of our time” said Tracy.
Independent City Councilor, Ali Dieng highlighted the fact that he is not entrenched in city politics and that there needs to be much greater education regarding the climate change crisis for citizens. He says he believes Burlingtonians are ready for a change in leadership. He also spoke about how he came to the city without even knowing English more than a decade ago, yet he still was able to help the community.
“13 years ago, I created programs and projects that helped people get better without political party or backbone of the organization. I have done it all through collaboration of bringing people together and being civil and that’s what I would want to continue as a Mayor,” said Dieng.
The candidates will meet virtually for at least two more debates before Town Meeting Day. You can find more information of the City of Burlington’s website here.
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January 15, 2021 at 02:13PM
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Mayoral candidates gather virtually for Wards 2 and 3 forum - WCAX
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