Dankelmann said he also wanted to address the concerns of Ward 7 residents who are worried about the creeping impact of absentee landlords who are buying up former single-family homes and converting them into rental units. The solution, he said, is an alderman who will stay in touch with constituents and remain steadily involved in neighborhood developments.
In brother’s footsteps
Maryann Mills said that she would take a similar hands-on approach to the task of representing the Seventh Ward. The 50-year-old Kingston native is a longtime employee of United Health where she works as an auditor, and comes from a politically involved family which includes her brother Dan Mills, a onetime alderman and current head of the Kingston Housing Authority. Mills said that she had had her eye on the council seat for a few years now, but stayed out of the running out of respect for Reynolds.
Now, she says, she wants to represent the residents of the ward by paying close attention to their needs and holding regular ward meetings to get their input.
“People need to have a voice,” said Mills. “They have ideas and they need a way to tell people those ideas.”
Mills admitted that she had much to learn about the city budget and other nuts and bolts of governance. She also declined to offer an opinion on the current state of city government or the actions of the Common Council over the past few years.
“I have opinions, I just don’t want to advocate for any one certain thing right now, as far as what’s gone on in the past,” said Mills. “Because it’s not about the past, it’s about the present and the future.”
Like Dankelmann, Mills cited quality of life as a major concern for residents. And, she said the key to addressing the issue was to stay connected.
“If someone has a question or a concern, I will always get back to them,” said Mills. “They might not like what I have to tell them, but I will hear them out and find and answer for them.”
