Letters to the Editor

Election letters

To the editor,

Brandan Williams is running for South Portland City Councilor at-large. He would speak for a demographic that should be heard more in our city: the young, the non-rich and those with some type of disability. Brandon is 34 years old; was born in San Francisco, has a hearing disability, and went to school in California where he studied filmmaking in college.

He moved to South Portland in 2016, works in a restaurant for a steady income, has done an occasional gig as a stand-up comedian, and has an eye for photography. Williams is an elected member of the Civil Service Commission and the Human Rights Commission.

If elected to the council, he will bring needed strengths and insights to deliberations. His platform addresses increasing housing that is affordable, developing temporary housing for asylum seekers, investing in mental health services for our most vulnerable, helping small businesses thrive in the city, protecting our air and water and creating a disability advisory committee.

Williams is a hard-working young man, grounded in the arts, and committed to community service. I believe he will approach issues with compassion in his heart and a mind that will search for justice. These are qualities that will serve our city well.

Susan Henderson

South Portland

To the editor,

I am pleased to endorse Natalie West as a qualified candidate for South Portland City Council. I have known Natalie and her husband, Rob, since 2012. As a fellow sailor, we have shared many stories of worldly adventures. More importantly, as a neighbor and fellow citizen of South Portland, I have come to understand her passion for our city and all its inhabitants.

Natalie has always shared her unbiased and informed views on South Portland’s inner workings with an open mind. I have no doubt that Natalie can help shape and manage South Portland as we move forward in these often uncertain and turbulent times.

In my opinion, South Portland would be very lucky to have such a high-quality individual willing to serve as one of our city councilors. Natalie West will add fairness and intelligence to our community.

Paul Leddy

South Portland

To the editor,

South Portland is fortunate to have an eminently qualified candidate running for one of the two at-large city council seats.

Richard Matthews, a lifelong resident of South Portland, has given much to our community. He is a consistent and vocal booster of our students, having served on scholarship committees, PTAs, and the South Portland Little League board. He is the epitome of SoPo Pride in many ways.

His 12 years on the board of education gave him critical insight and experience with budgets, contract negotiations and the needs of our city. There is no other candidate with this level of historical knowledge and experience. Dickie has no special agenda – he is not a single-issue candidate.

He approaches all issues with an open mind and actively seeks citizen input and opinions before making a decision. We will be voting for one or two of the candidates for city council and I urge you to join me in voting for Richard Matthews.

Thank you very much.

Ralph Cabana

South Portland

To the editor,

I am thrilled to be voting for Steve Silver for one of the two at-large seats on the South Portland City Council. I initially got behind Steve solely because of his pledge to work to roll back the anti-dog ordinance, but since getting to know Steve’s positions better, his pro-dog stance is just the cherry on top.

Transparency and common sense solutions are things that will improve the lives of all South Portland residents, and they are the pillars of Steve’s character and candidacy. Steve has also pledged that he will never vote to raise taxes. If you have not already gotten to know Steve, I urge you to visit his website (www.silver4sopo.com) and meet him on the campaign trail.