Britton Letter to Editor: "Highly qualified with impressive experience and community involvement"

Plymouth resident and a leader of the Plymouth Diversity Equity and Inclusion group, Audrey Britton wrote this letter to the editor published in the October 13 Sun Sailor.

To the editor:

By voting for Clark Gregor (at large), Julie Peterson (Ward 2) and Julie Pointner (Ward 4), we have a rare opportunity to change our city council to be more representative and responsive to Plymouth residents.

This is the first time in decades that we can vote on three open council seats that will not be filled by appointment or incumbents. Gregor, Peterson and Pointner are all long-time Plymouth residents serving on city committees and commissions. They are highly qualified with impressive professional experience, community involvement, well-reasoned perspectives and, most importantly, a demonstrated willingness to listen to constituents and carry our voices forward.

They have committed to: increasing transparency; common-sense environmental policies, and equity and inclusion efforts that neighboring cities have readily embraced; reviewing the city’s special assessment and supply chain policies; supporting our police to keep us safe while ensuring related policies consider those with special needs and those from underrepresented communities; supporting both our business community and citizen communities.

Currently, half our council members were appointed, which gave them “the incumbency advantage” to then be elected. This advantage created the council we have today in which four of seven came by way of appointment. Beating all odds of an open process, all four appointees previously ran as Republicans or worked on Republican campaigns, and serve in a city that has been favoring more progressive candidates, according to voting statistics maintained by numerous organizations, including Best Places.

With Peterson and Pointner, we will also add two women to a seven-person council that will otherwise have only one woman after the elections. On a related note: Gregor stepped aside when he learned Peterson planned to run in Ward 2, so a woman could run. He then changed his campaign to focus on the at-large seat. Gregor is also the only at-large candidate to show up for the recent council candidate LWV forum. All three began their campaigns over a year ago. They are serious about being the change we need.

Audrey Britton

Plymouth