Resident to run for Maplewood City Council: his statement

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My name is Owen Skoler, and I will be running to fill the vacant Ward 1 seat on the Maplewood City Council.

Photo courtesy Owen Skoler

I moved to Maplewood three years ago with my wife and then 2-year-old daughter. We were looking for a diverse, inclusive community with a progressive public school system and affordable housing. We found that in Ward 1.

Since moving to Maplewood, I’ve seen my daughter thrive at the Maplewood Early Childhood Center. I’ve watched her brave slides at Kellogg Park and then Trolley Park. She’s developed a love of books with weekly walks to the Maplewood Public Library and she’s brought smiles to our neighbors’ faces trick-or-treating.

The neighborhood in which I live has been an active participant in making some of the most special memories of my life. I’m grateful for this because I think increasingly there are fewer neighborhoods that can do the same.

I’m running for Maplewood City Council in April to make sure Maplewood is a place where all residents can make good memories wherever they are or are moving toward in life.

I became involved in Maplewood politics after learning about two lawsuits against the city that are alleging discrimination. I wanted to learn more, so I started attending city council meetings. I’ve personally spoken with all the city councilors, mayor and city manager about my concerns. I know how Maplewood city government works, how decisions are made and have educated myself on how residents can best make their voices heard.

Since then, I’ve seen residents call on councilors for reforms in the city’s nuisance ordinance, and I was active in an effort to use community development block grant funds to improve Metrolink access through Kellogg Park.

Being at meetings was familiar. After graduating college, I was a reporter and editor for five years, during which time I covered more government meetings than I can count, in municipalities that ranged from 2,000 residents to those nearing 200,000. Regardless of the meeting, my mission was always the same. I needed to make sense of information buried in ordinances, resolutions and notices of public hearings to clearly explain to readers how what was happening at city hall could potentially impact their lives and neighborhoods.

I’ve seen city councilors who have worked to transform underserved communities and I’ve seen councilors who ignore their most vulnerable residents. I’ve seen examples of healthy and open city councils and councils that kept decision-making behind closed doors because of special interests.

Eventually I took my experience as a journalist into marketing, and I currently manage the creative team at World Wide Technology.

I’m skilled at written and verbal communication, and I believe in the value of doing everything I can to learn about the needs of others and working on solutions to make sure those needs are met while making tangible progress on a defined goal.

I believe good ideas come from everywhere and people aren’t as different as they might think. As your city councilor, I promise to always listen to you, to solicit your ideas and to make sure you have all the context you need to form an opinion about decisions that will impact your quality of life. It would be an honor to play even the slightest of role in helping you make the lasting memories that we all seek.

See more at Owen Skoler for Maplewood Ward 1 on Facebook.

[Editor: Owen Skoler will be running for the council seat that will become vacant when now-council member Steven Moseley leaves to take a new position in Chillicothe MO. The election will be held in April 2018.]

8 COMMENTS

  1. Couldn’t think of a better person to represent ward 3! He listens to and is engaged with the community. You’ve get my vote!

    • It seems Mr. Skoler is running to represent ward 1. He sounds as though he is truly concerned about his future constituents’ opinions, needs and desires. I hope he continues on to run for Mayor one day.

  2. It is good he is willing to work for all people in the community but there is no real platform that is mentioned. The main point seems to be, “I’m running for Maplewood City Council in April to make sure Maplewood is a place where all residents can make good memories wherever they are or are moving toward in life.” City council members need to have a vision for Maplewood and be pro-active enacting it.

      • Sure, I could go search the internet for his platform. OR more reasonably, when a candidate submits a piece to local paper he/she should actually contain some of the foundational points on which choosing to run, or at the very least provide a link himself. To be clear, I’m not opposed to him, I just find his first public comments on 40South to be lacking.

        • The link is there now, and I cannot speak for if it was there before.

          Perhaps asking for more information instead of indicting a candidate for a statement would be a more amicable way of approaching that situation.

  3. Owen is a great guy: smart, talented and ready to work. We love him and his beautiful family. He will be a fantastic addition to the Council. We can’t vote for him because we’re in Ward 3, but we are behind him all the way.

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