It feels like a long time since we (Ward 1/East District) have had two excellent, competent, serious candidates to choose from. We are lucky this round to have just that. Both Allie and Kathy are loving, smart people who care deeply about our city. Thank goodness!

We think Allie is the right choice for several reasons.

Allie spent more than a decade working at service agencies, largely focused on child and youth welfare. For much of that time she worked on emergency services, counseling and, of course, housing for homeless youth. Her commitment to the most needy in the community is clear. Allie continues to play a part in kids' welfare through her leadership co-chairing the Sustainability Academy PTO.

Allie is Director of Development at the Flynn. The Flynn is an amazing cornerstone of our Downtown. Her commitment to working for this treasure makes our city stronger. But her work means much more than that. Development work is centered on relationship-building, collaboration, and a sincere desire to understand others' perspectives. It requires active listening without judgment, and it requires pragmatism. We desperately need these skills on City Council, where so often it feels like partisan winning, without true concern for the community, is the goal. The Mayor often stresses the importance of cooperation. Allie is committed to it.

Allie has an MBA. What a fantastic credential for someone we want in a position of governance for our city. An MBA is not a degree in theory or ideology, but a practical education that leads to a deeper understanding of complex realities, such as those that make up a multi-faceted city like Burlington. And, by the way, she also holds a degree in Environmental Sciences!

Allie's experience and strengths show us she has another important attribute – organizational capacity. One of the drivers of 'Party-think' is the enormous amount of material councilors must read and consider on a regular basis. Party caucusing allows a councilor to rely on the 'Party line' to make decisions for them. The more individual capacity a councilor has, the less reliant a councilor is on the Party. We believe Allie has what it takes to independently consider issues and make her own decisions.

Allie is in it for the long haul. She loves Burlington and wants to serve Burlington. This is where her kids will grow up, and she is committed to building an ever-better community for them and us. She is enrolled in Emerge Vermont, the leadership training program that counts among its alumnae such dedicated folks as Becca Balint, Charity Clark, Esther Charlestin, Erin Jacobsen, Martine Larocque Gulick, and Karen Tronsgard-Scott. Working through a program like Emerge shows a commitment to a future in public leadership. It feels like all too often lately we have lost councilors mid-term or else they have hesitated to run for re-election. We understand all the vagaries of life, but we asked Allie if her running for council meant that she would plan on running for re-election (!), and she said she absolutely would. That matters to us.

Yes. If you vote for either candidate on the East District council ballot this Town Meeting Day, you will vote for a great candidate. Allie has the experience, skill, passion, and humanity to be a superb city leader. She is forward-looking, and, yes, both pragmatic and progressive. We think it is the time to choose Allie Schachter.

People, not Parties.