Maplewood Ward 3 candidate, Jenny Schmidt, sent an update to 40 South for publication. The special election to fill the vacant Ward 3 city council seat is on August 8. Schmidt’s update:
Since submitting my petition to run, I have been trying to attend the city council meetings to get a better understanding of how the council works and what issues are currently being addressed by the council. We have begun canvassing efforts and I will be walking around Ward 3 over the next few weeks trying to get to every door and introduce myself and talk with you about the issues with which you are most concerned and any ideas you have for improvements or changes that can be made.
In addition, I will have several informal meet-and-greet events, the first of which is on Tuesday, July 11 at 5:30 p.m. at Stone Spiral, 2500 Sutton Blvd. I sincerely hope that if you have a few minutes you will drop by and introduce yourself and we can spend some time getting to know each other and talk about any issues that are important to you. Just after this event, I plan to attend the Maplewood City Council meeting, which begins that evening at 7:30 p.m. and would love for you to join me there if you can.
Another great event coming up is the Hadley Township Democratic Club candidate forum on Monday, July 24, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Schlafly Bottleworks. Our city council positions are non-partisan, and I am not running with any political party affiliation. I have been assured that all three candidates have been invited to this forum and that it is entirely open to the public. You do not need to be a member of the club to attend. Details about the format of the forum have not yet been finalized but I do plan to be available after the forum for further discussion. To my knowledge, there are no other community forums planned at this time, so this is a great opportunity for you to come out and see what the candidates have to say.
If you don’t have time to attend an event and we miss each other as I make my way around Maplewood knocking on doors, you can check out my Facebook page for more information about some of the issues that are important to me or email me at [email protected] with any questions or ideas you have.
I would love the opportunity to serve Maplewood as a member of the city council. I have lived here for over 12 years, have relocated my business to Maplewood and my children attend MRH schools. I spend most of every day in Maplewood and as a female and a lawyer, I feel that I can provide a unique voice to the council. Maplewood is already an amazing community to live in, but like everything, there is always room for growth and change and I am dedicated to ensuring that Maplewood continues to grow and expand in a way that incorporates the feelings and views of all of its diverse citizenry.
I truly am passionate about understanding the issues that matter to all Maplewood citizens and working with the many talented and gifted people in our community to find practical implementable solutions to the issues and concerns that are raised. If elected I would also continue to find ways to maintain open dialogue about the issues affecting you, including holding monthly “office hours” at places in the community where we can have face-to-face conversations about your concerns.
I also want to acknowledge the endorsement I received recently from Mobilize Missouri. Mobilize Missouri is a grassroots, progressive activist organization here in the St. Louis region that has built a base around a number of progressive initiatives and candidates in various local elections, and is currently working on issues that will have an important impact on all Missourians such as The Clean Missouri Initiative and the right-to-work repeal. Members of Mobilize Missouri include many residents of Maplewood, and I am honored to be endorsed by such an amazing organization.
It is an important and exciting time to be involved in government and making sure that your voice is heard about the issues that matter most to you is imperative in effecting positive change in our community. Attending city council meetings are a great way to keep on top of what is happening in our city but if that is not possible you can always sign up for email alerts on the city’s website to receive agendas for upcoming meetings and email Barry or the council with any questions, concerns or ideas you have. Your participation can only make our community a better place to live.
I really look forward to meeting you and getting to know you and the issues that matter to you.
Sincerely,
Jenny Schmidt