Letter to the Editor: Little a Good Candidate for Mayor

To the Editor:

I have spent nearly all of my life in . My parents built their first home here the summer before they married. I tried to trick-or-treat on these roads during the Halloween Blizzard of ’91. My high school class was the first to be split between North and South High Schools. I’m proud to say the Lakeville Area Public Schools prepared me for academic success at the University of Minnesota Law School, where I have had the fortune to encounter as a classmate.

Council Member Little defies every lawyer joke you’ve heard (a feat, you may expect, some law students cannot claim). When he speaks in class, his contributions add intelligent ideas to the conversation; everyone respects what he has to say. He manages his time exceptionally well between his school and public obligations. To be honest, he’s gotten terrific grades in a highly competitive class of students.

Beyond these accolades, he has an exceptional ability to actually interact with real people. Last week, he and I were randomly paired to interview a witness in class. His questions were thoughtful and showed a talent for listening emphatically, synthesizing ideas quickly, and asking relevant questions. All of these skills will serve him well as mayor of Lakeville.

In his time as councilor, Little has demonstrated this ability to listen and respond through his decisions on the Lakeville City Council and through his visibility and transparency. Knowing how easy it is to give and receive feedback online, Little has made himself accessible to Lakeville’s citizens through his Facebook page and Twitter. If you visit those sites, you will see his interest in interacting to citizens’ concerns and critiques openly and publicly. 

Lakeville is an incredible place to live. In discussing policy with Council Member Little, I see a real opportunity for the continued success of my hometown. His focus on infrastructure, public safety and jobs will provide Lakeville with a successful future, guaranteeing it as a destination for economic development and happy families; the Lakeville I remember growing up. If Washington and St. Paul will not make the changes we need to see, we can at least take matters into our own hands in our local community.

I will vote for Matt Little for mayor this fall because I believe he has the intelligence, ideas, and energy to listen to what Lakeville needs.

Cassie Batchelder, Lakeville