Letter: Democratic Lansdale Council Candidate Shares Her Vision of Lansdale

As a candidate for Lansdale Borough Council, I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am a Board-certified medical editor currently employed in the pharmaceutical industry as a document quality analyst. I grew up in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and moved to the Philadelphia suburbs in the mid-1980s. My son Nick is an engineer employed on the naval base in Charleston, South Carolina.

I have lived in the Lansdale area for 12 years: 11 years in an apartment and the last year in my house on Cannon Avenue. In 2001, I was simply looking for an apartment that was within walking distance of a train to center city, but I ended up finding the town that was to become my new home.

It was much more than 3 years ago that I fell in love with Lansdale. I love this town’s walkability, friendliness, and many events on Main Street. I know that Lansdale has been “on the move” through several Borough Councils, not just the current one.

When I first decided to move here more than a decade ago, several friends made comments such as “Oh, Lansdale, good for you, Liz … I hear that is an up-and-coming place!” And they were right: Just a few of the changes I have seen over the last 12 years include the Streetscape project conceived in 2005 and brought about by a grant secured by Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz in 2009, the bandshell in Whites Road Park dedicated in 2007, and Stony Creek Park dedicated in 2008.

I am a lifelong Democrat. In the last several years, I have become quite active in the party, as a secretary of both the Lansdale Democratic Committee and the North Penn Democratic Committee. In 2012, the North Penn Dems appointed me as a representative to the county executive committee and bestowed upon me their first ever “Rising Star” award. Naturally, I am very proud of these honors, but another aspect of my political involvement gave me even more satisfaction last summer: being a go-to person to assist elderly voters to obtain their voter ID.

After passage of the PA Voter ID Law last spring, I led a local effort to assist vulnerable voters to secure their voter ID cards. In some challenging cases, this required several hours on the phone just to gather the appropriate documentation—followed by a drive to the photo center in Norristown or Dublin. But the pleasure of seeing these voters’ relief (and joy) when they finally had their voter ID cards in hand was worth that effort.

That is precisely what public service means to me: to be the person people feel comfortable approaching for assistance, and in turn to have the resources—and enthusiasm—to follow up and address their concerns. Recently as I met some of the Democratic voters in Ward 3 while I was collecting signatures on my nominating petition, I took notice of their concerns and ideas, and I look forward to meeting more people in the coming weeks and months, and learning where I can make a positive difference in their lives.

One of the first things that struck me when I began attending Lansdale Borough Council meetings in late 2011 was the tense, unwelcoming atmosphere that was evident on Council when some citizens took the podium to express their concerns during the limited public comment time. (I should add that the tenor has improved this year—perhaps predictably—as we approach the campaign season!). Furthermore, most speeches received little or no acknowledgment from Council members. Last summer I did some research on my own, by quietly attending other meetings of borough councils and boards of supervisors in some of our neighboring municipalities. I wanted to see if the same attitudes prevailed throughout our area. Although I did sense some tension during negotiations between one particular business owner and council members in Upper Gwynedd, for the most part the other meetings (for example, North Wales and Hatfield) had a more pleasant, open feel to them.

I believe it can be that way in Lansdale too, if we elect council members who are dedicated to listening to and addressing individuals’ concerns.  I am running for this office because I would be excited and honored to serve on a Borough Council that creates an atmosphere that both invites and is responsive to public participation. If you share this vision, I ask for your vote for Borough Council in Ward 3 on May 21. Thank you.

LIZ TROY
Endorsed Democratic Candidate for Lansdale Borough Council in Ward 3