Yesterday, I received two flyers in the mail for the Urbana mayoral race. One from Annie Adams and one from DeShawn Williams.
I think they a priority in common:
- Improve Urbana’s economic outlook
But Annie keep mentioning fixing streets and potholes. Potholes aren’t a priority for me, and potholes are not unique to Urbana. Savoy has potholes, I was just there. Repairing potholes does not correlate to a safe, vibrant, inclusive community.
Do you know what I love about Urbana? It’s the people.
Urbana is undergoing a small renaissance – with HMart, the Hilton Hotel set to open at some point, and the renovation of county plaza. The new managers of the Elm City Coffee (formerly Cafeteria and Company) took down the posters that were obscuring the windows for years. It’s very inviting.
The next mayor needs to build upon that with the principles of inclusiveness, access, and openness, and community. And I think the person who most cares about that is DeShawn.
We need to focus on community, schools, and continue the business development that is already taking place, and I think Shawn is that collaborative person to do that.