Good Grief! Hixson Shepherd For WG Council

Election season in our fair city is heating up, sending some into hiding and others onto front lawns to dance with our yard signs. I’m in the latter category, and on behalf of myself and other neighbors on Oak Street in northwest Webster, I am here to sing the praises of city council candidate Emily Hixson Shepherd. Webster would be incredibly lucky to have Emily working for us at city hall.

Because of our proximity to the proposed Douglass Hill project, many in our neighborhood were learning about it from the earliest town halls. Emily, like many of us, was a proponent of development, and especially affordable housing in that area. But the more we learned about Douglass Hill, the more distant those dreams became.

Emily was a trusted voice as the redevelopment project worked its way through city government. For one thing, she stayed calm. For another, she did the hard work of informing herself — and the rest of us — digging into the weeds of planning documents, attending council and commission meetings, connecting with city officials and listening to what everyone had to say. She kept an open mind, ready for compromise if the opportunity arose. People all over Webster recognized this and came to depend on Emily for an honest assessment of the project and process.

This is the kind of leadership we need at city hall. Emily is intelligent, informed and qualified, but most important, Emily will listen to and represent all of us. Those values of connection and collaboration can help us build a stronger Webster.

Anne Yard Webster Groves

by Lydia Diamond directed by chanel bragg

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