 All right, welcome everyone. Hello Burlington. So listen before we get started I just want to let you know I have a lisp. I had tongue surgery last week. It's fine But I hope you bear with me because some letter combinations are going to be a little more difficult than others. All right So let's get started Hello Burlington as we stand on the edge of winter The crisp air is starting to bite. I can't Help but feel the same anticipation that stirs the air before the snow falls It's a signal. Isn't it a call to change to transformation to transition And that's why I'm here with you Ready to foster a trust that's more than a word It's action It's commitment Today, I stand with you Not just ready But eager to open a new chapter for Burlington To be the mayor who doesn't speak of change, but who makes it happen. So my story as A military kid. It's a tapestry woven through the hearts of many places Georgia to Germany back to Georgia and then Alaska where I grew up But it's here in Burlington where the threads have come together to create a picture. I love I Remember my first time in Burlington as a young student and Being greeted with a kindness that spoke of community and connection. I Had just stepped off the bus at the corner of St. Paul in Maine Loaded down with a backpack full of books economics math psychology And There a woman a perfect stranger Greeted me with a hello One word that changed my life She took time out of her day to give this college kid a tour Pointing out the Fletcher free library as a quiet place to study Her favorite spots to grab a bite Where to pass time at old gold and where to catch a cab before we had a Uber This woman who I hope is out there listening Could have chosen to ignore me and just pass by But she didn't She chose to share her time Her knowledge and her hometown with me as I got to know Burlington. I realized this is just who we are a People rooted in kindness Openness and a love of place That woman changed my life She showed me what home felt like Now 37 years later I'm a proud reflection of Burlington's richness of her people a Gay by racial black woman a survivor born of my mother's German immigrant strength and diligence and My father's African-American joy and resilience I've lived life in the in between my Existence in the intersection of many worlds and cultures a Testament to the fact that real life real life is nuanced and full of possibilities and perspectives I found strength in my many identities and my ability to actually see many perspectives and It's that strength that bridge. I've become that I bring to the role of your mayor One that understands and celebrates our shared humanity For my entire adult life Vermont has been my backdrop From Richmond to South hero to a few other places in between But Burlington has remained my anchor This community has called me and embraced me in so many ways Supporting causes that make up the diverse fabric of Burlington From empowering our LGBTQ plus youth through board service at outright Vermont To making life better for all Vermonters through policy work championed by the Public Assets Institute and Vermont professionals of color I've spent years at the drawing board of technology Turning ideas into tools we use every day Like the like the tech that makes your electronic signature as good as ink or The online shopping that brings Burton snowboards from the slopes to your doorstep This is this is the spirit of innovation. I'm bringing into the mayor's office You see Two decades in tech have taught me a valuable lesson Delivering solutions that work is a collaborative art Even the strongest leaders need to know how to step back and make room for others Collaboration means breaking down barriers and silos Truly listening to weave the diverse strands of a community's needs into solutions that actually make a difference I'm here to bring that collaborative spirit to City Hall To listen to you To understand your dreams and challenges and to craft policies that are flexible to shifting needs Enduring and effective and which serve and support all of Burlington's residents. I stand before you Not as a long-time politician endorsed by other long-time politicians, but as one of you Rooted in the real experiences and challenges we face every day I've talked to so many of you as you've shared your frustrations with me I've stood with you and I've watched City Council meetings feeling like we're getting nowhere Now I know that making city policy is an easy in 2019 I was asked to chair a commission to review policing policies I came in with a sense of hope and civic pride and it quickly became apparent That there was no real work to be done We would be going through the motions because they already had their answer on the table I was just a formality and a face. I Left that commission within the first few meetings because I would not be party to that This campaign is a pledge to all of us To our families to our livelihoods to our dreams and to the future will forge together So what does it look like this future? We're gonna build together Here's something. I think we can all agree on Richard poor North-end South-end old North-end or downtown native or newcomer Everyone should be able to feel safe and right now We're realizing the status quo What we've been doing for the last 15 or 20 years or even the past couple of years or even the past few months is not working Look around We're downtown This downtown and this city is in distress right now The Burlington Police Department is holding a press conference because of the shootings last night and has taken too long To acknowledge that our downtown is in crisis that our city is in crisis and we're still waiting for comprehensive solutions We have to acknowledge That we cannot expect people to have a path to recovery when they are limited to a 14-day Stay under current Medicaid rules We can't thank you. Yes We can't expect our first responders healthcare workers and social service providers not to become disillusioned and burnt out When they are treating the same people over and over again because our systems are built on scarce resources For short-term reaction and not long-term healing now with attention towards harm reduction We will work with sister cities like Rutland and Brattle borough with our state leaders and Governor Scott to build a more comprehensive path forward We have been envision of Burlington and a Vermont Where everyone can find long-term mental health care care? long-term recovery support and safety a City and state that doesn't just react We heal Now with attention towards public safety because it's going to take a balance of both Together with Governor Scott and our local legislature We can remove barriers that our judiciary and law enforcement are facing to be as effective and compassionate As we demand them to be It's not about toughness It's about being smart Compassionate and holding each other to a standard of mutual responsibility mutual responsibility for those of us who can help and Mutual responsibility for those in need of help and Then there's a matter of where we live our housing and affordability crisis Burlington we can't keep pace with the demand for homes for our teachers our nurses Emergency responders our university students and faculty and the many folks who make our city work and Burlington should not have to go it alone We need to think bigger reach further and act bolder to solve this Together with our neighboring towns our state and thought leaders. We can turn the tide on this crisis Our vision for housing is one where assistance wraps around the individual Ensuring no one slips through the cracks of bureaucracy It's a vision where vacant properties and lots become homes Where renters become owners where the next generation plants roots with the security that their community is there for them Just as they will be for the next I Know Burlington that what I just described will take staffing construction Facility and funds that we do not currently have We will need to be bold and audacious in insisting that our state and our country Reprioritize because these crises should not be happening here in Burlington in Rutland in Brattleboro in Vermont or anywhere else in the United States So listen if Pennsylvania Can rebuild the six lane I-95 bridge in Philadelphia in 12 days Thank you. I think that should have taken months to repair Then Burlington we can repair and heal our city All right, what about our local economy? Burlington is a beacon of creativity and forward thinking a Place where a company or an idea can start on a local corner and grow to global scale and global reach From Ben and Jerry's to beta Champlain College to UVM The startups brewing at V set and hula from our cultural experiences to our waterfront if we value the creative Cultural environmental and innovative powerhouse that Burlington is known for Then we need an economy that serves not just the CEOs of these successful companies But also the brilliant kids who are going to start the next one We need to build an economy where we're ready to bolster businesses and all of the people who work in them And the only way we're going to do that is to listen Listen, this is the key word Listen to our community partners business leaders and everyone that makes this city work Unlike my experience in the Commission. I'm not coming to the table with all of the solutions predetermined My first step is to listen to you So to all of Burlington's residents and the folks who build businesses Experiences and opportunity here. I'm asking you to bring your stories to the table What are the challenges that weigh on you? What hopes do you hold for the future? I'm here to gather our collective stories to tune into your voices that may have been lost in the fray Tell me what do you expect from your mayor? What keeps you restless in the quiet of the night? What visions for our city spark your passion? If you felt like you've been dismissed or your voice doesn't matter I'm here to tell you it does I'm listening and together will make those unheard voices resonate through the halls of city government I think back to that woman that said hello 37 years ago. I Think about the kindness it takes I Think about the open arms the welcoming That she could listen to a newcomer Make them feel welcome I think that wasn't a simple act of kindness Instead it was an embodiment of Burlington's values And these very values are the ones that are going to get us through this trust openness kindness And a willingness to consider something new I'm here today Grateful for the trust you place in me Someone new This is our time This is our Burlington One Burlington united for every neighbor and every neighborhood It's time Burlington Join me. Thank you everybody for being here It warms my heart so to see so many faces so many people That I've gathered up over the years I have Long time friends here who've known me since I was a baby Since I really basically stepped foot into Burlington And so now you're gonna see the softer side of me This isn't the prepared speech This is just keeping it real I'm doing this Because I love this town And it actually doesn't matter If I win or lose now. I'm not doing this not to lose. Okay. I'm not doing this to lose I'm not doing that I'm doing this because we need to move this conversation forward Because we need to change the way we actually do things There is truly nothing nothing we can't do but I what I feel in our town that is happening Which is something I've noticed and now I'm going to turn take a spin back to the tech work I do When I've dropped back into various companies Even as a 20-something even in recent years People seem to hold on to their little corner of the office Right There's this culture of fear that can happen. There's this culture of scarcity that can happen There is plenty people So I'm asking for us to not Live in that place of scarcity and trying to hold on to a little corner of an idea We need all of ideas are all of the ideas together We need all of our departments and our people and our first responders and our community partners We need everyone working together collectively to solution this Because having someone say we just don't have the staff That's not good enough That's not an answer I'm going to leave it there because there's plenty more I could say I think I've said enough for today and I thank you all for coming out My name is Craig Mitchell and I've been a friend and a fan of Madison for over 30 years I've been a resident of Chitton County for since 1989 It's not often that I you know put my my stamp on someone who Is running for office. I've been a DJ. I've been a band leader and band member and singer and I do my best to be a Leader in this this area from working with outright which And Madison being on the board outright saved my life I was a member of the outright Friday night group starting the first year in 1989 And all the other work that Madison has done and will continue to do I believe in Madison I love Madison And it was I believe two or three years ago when I first said to Madison, please run Please run And then a year later, please run. Please tell me when you're gonna run And then it was several months ago that Madison finally said It's time And I said whatever you need from me. I'm there for you And I'm there for our community because we need it. We need to change and it's time. It is time. So I'm excited Hi, my name is Shawna Hill. I am a resident of Burlington. I've lived here three and a half years with my children I'm a single mom and a business owner I'm a founder CEO of a mental health media and tech company that's growing out of hula And I met Madison several years ago at hula and began a series of conversations with her about issues I'm concerned about as a career social worker and behavioral health executive And a parent and someone struggling to figure out how to continue to live and raise my family in this city With the rising costs and some of the challenges that we face So what I knew was that I secretly hoped Madison would run and the reason is because I really trust Her ability to bring people into real conversation about complex issues and to put deliverable Concrete ideas and solutions together She is the kind of thinker and she is sort of a relentless person And I'm just really thrilled with her candidacy. So thanks