 First and foremost, I want to take the time to reflect on the vulnerabilities and burning tonyons that we have lost due to the coronavirus and to continue to urge our residents to take extra precautions that is necessary to stay safe and keep our neighbors and community members as well as co-workers safe. I also would like to express my deep gratitude to the first responders, police officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, grocery service workers that stepped up in so many different ways in running our city and state during these unprecedented and uncertain times. Today, I officially announce my candidacy as the next mayor of the city of Burlington. I am a three-year term city council and member of the Board of Finals running as an independent to bring transparency, action and action back to our city government. Our city needs a trustworthy leader with an inclusive vision geared toward bringing people together and transforming Vermont's largest city into the best small city in North America. This campaign, our campaign, is about leadership and action, the leadership that truly will implement a vision for a fair, just and equitable city that works for everyone, keep everyone safe and healthy and move us into the future with a smart and sustainable policies. I came to this country 13 years ago as an African immigrant, not speaking English, not knowing the American culture, but I worked hard to find my ways in a new place and makes a difference in my community. As a family outreach coordinator at the Burlington School District and the founder and manager of the Burlington School District Plant University, to support and engage new American families. Also as a board member at the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Services, a co-founder of the Vermont New American Advisory Council, VINAC, I have been a Burlington city council for over three years now. As a city council, I am a member of the Board of Finance. I am the chair of the Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Committee for the City of Burlington. But as a next mayor, these are my few priorities, confront our many public health crises with expertise and leadership, combat systemic racism, and improve the city's hiring practices to ensure that the city workforce and its department heads reflects the community that we serve. Bring fiscal responsibility and transparency to city budgeting, which is our moral document. Bring an inclusive public downtown district that supports local and small businesses. I would like also to restructure some government service department to tackle infrastructure upgrades, eradicate homelessness in our city through innovative housing models. I would like also to create a commission on aging to address the needs of older Vermonters as well as a commission around access for those who are experiencing disabilities. My recent accomplishment to the city includes working in collaboration with community organization. I secured unanimous support from the Burlington City Council colleagues for the creation of an office of Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and the Racial Equity and Belonging Committee that I currently chair. I strongly advocated for a full staffed new ambulance in the New North End and restarted the long overdue process for the city to take responsibility for upgrading and maintaining the streets of Franklin Square neighborhood. The city has a lot of work to do to recover from COVID-19. We need to strengthen the social and economic ties in the community and tackle tough issues like housing, policing, and I am ready and willing to work with everyone in all parties and across all sectors to build a healthier, stronger, more and just inclusive city. We can do the hard and necessary work and we cannot do it alone, we will do it together. I hope that you all will join me in this journey in making sure that the city of Burlington is the best small city in North America. We have done so many great things together and now it is about time that we work for transparency, unity and take actions on things that matter. Thank you all for being here and now my friend Miles will be playing a video about our campaign, what it is about. Thank you and please stay for questions. The residents of Burlington needs an inclusive leader in City Hall, a municipal government for the community and by the community. Like all Burlingtonians, we are all aging. Our city owes its residents a commitment that fulfills its democratic promise, a promise for a better future for us, our children and vulnerable communities. I have been fighting for the dignity of all people since before immigrating to Vermont from Africa 13 years ago. I have been fighting for a Burlington that is fair and welcoming to all people, regardless of their religion, their race, their gender or who they love. Without the political party or backbone organization, I have accomplished so much through collaboration, commitment and passion in filling the gaps. This is why I pledge to run as an independent, not seeking endorsements from political organizations or parties. I believe it is only through collaboration and creativity that we can collectively solve the fundamental issues of our time. In my years of public service, I have learned this important lesson. It is not enough to be right. You must strive for clear and transparent processes and active community engagement, bringing everyone along to get things done. Burlingtonians want a government that can be trusted to do the right things no matter what, especially when no one is looking. A government that cares enough to start the healing and build unity around our community needs and values. I fundamentally believe with all my being that we are going to be okay and Burlington can become the best small city in North America. My name is Ali and I am proud to announce my candidacy for mayor of the city of Burlington. Please vote Ali Jang for Mayor on Town Meeting Day. Ali is your ally in City Hall. Thank you again everyone for being here and I think it is about time for us to take a couple of questions and we know that some of the reporters would want to speak with me afterwards. And if there is anyone with a question to please put it on the chat box and we will try to at least answer a couple of them. Okay. Here Liam. Yeah hi. Ali I was just wondering this is looking at the field right now and you are not the only candidate in this race there is at least three other people who are also running. So I am just wondering how are you differentiating yourself from those other candidates in this pretty crowded field right now. Okay. Thank you. I think it is a great question and it has been coming up for a lot. The way that I differentiate myself is very easy. I have been the voice of reason at the Burlington City Council for quite some time now. Because I strive for a process and I am also an independent. I am not seeking endorsement from any political party or backbone organization. I want to lead this city with open transparency and also bringing the council together in solving the critical problems of our time such as climate change, social justice, economic justice, etc. So the voters of Burlington have the opportunity on town meeting day to vote for the candidate that they feel is the one who can take bring the council back together and together we collectively will be solving the problem of our time. My difference, I am a person of color of all the candidates running. I am the only one who is working and understand the multi, the communities and franchise communities such as the new Americans. I have lived experiences, right? And I came here, I worked hard and today I'm in front of you running for mayor. And I want to also inspire, be the cheerleader in making sure that Burlingtonians are now united and are now going to collectively come together because we all experienced so many hardships under the leadership of Miro Weinberger over the last couple of years around the police issue, around the lack of the development at the city place and so many other issues. And I will be also striving for action and action that are really researched, that are vetted and that receive the appropriate level of support from the community members that we try to serve. Thank you. You're welcome. Maybe one more question. Yeah, the chat, can you read one more, one question there? Okay, Paul Constantino is asking, can you give an example on how you have worked to bring committee members together over the past three years? Thank you, Paul. I think one of my biggest accomplishment at the city council is in making sure that the city of Burlington will to create the office of the racial equity and belonging committee. It was a resolution that I worked on in collaboration with the Vermont racial justice alliance and together I secured the vote with my city council colleagues, right? And that is exactly how I would want to continue to work with my colleagues as the next mayor of the city. As we move forward, I will create what we call a policy bank. Including the community members can submit policy ideas and collectively with the council will pick one policy, researching, vetted and find the appropriation necessary to move us forward. It's no longer me as an independent mayor to caucus with a different party, but I want to caucus with the district city council. So those are approaches in bringing everyone together. So the issues in front of us and move forward. Okay. Monica is asking what is your plan to eradicate homelessness? I invite you all also to visit my website. For each items that I discussed with you today, there is a plan to eradicate homelessness. We can do so many different things. One of them as a mayor, I will be exploring what we call the tiny home village. There are so many municipalities doing it. It is only the matter of finding the land. And we know that the tiny home village can be built in one day, one home, one day. And it will be costing over or less than $10,000 or no more. So that's one concrete example. Also we would have a focus on chronic homelessness. Those who are chronically homeless. And also that tiny home village will also implement what we call wrap around services, making sure that those people not only at home, given homes to live, but also will receive the appropriate services that they need to live in dignity as members of the community. Hi, Ali. This is Courtney from Seven Days. Can you hear me? Yes, Courtney. Hi. Question for you. So as of now, there are four people running for mayor, Moreau and three other folks. Are you concerned at all about those three, you know, yourself, Max Tracy and Patrick White splitting the opposition vote against Moreau? And do you think that could possibly land him into a fourth term as it did in 2018? Have you given any thoughts of that sort of situation happening again? Yes. So similar question of Liam. And I do believe that the Burlingtonians are ready for change. And through any calculation, we cannot see Moreau winning this election again. None of it, right? I think the voters of Burlington have the chance to at least have two city current city councils running. One of them is Max, one of them is me. And I've been ready to take the reign of the city and bring it to the next level of excellence. And I think I am not concerned. What I'm concerned about is my message to not be able to reach every voters in here. And the focus of our campaign is exactly that. What's my message? And how do we make sure that it is accessible to all voters? I think town meeting day, 7 p.m., you will see that the voice of reason that I've been working on so hard, the Burlington City Council, right, trying to bring everyone together, people value it. And I am confident that on town meeting day, they will give me a huge win. That will move us to the next level of excellence. Thank you. Maybe one more question. Yeah, so I mean, I think it's also important. Karen did ask me to talk about this. She is a resident of the New North End and she has a child who experienced visibility as well as all the families. I think I will be creating what we call a commission that will look into accessibility. To date, they have been working so hard with the current administration in making sure that those who experience, who are disabled, physically disabled, have access to city amenities such as the parks, et cetera, right? My commission will be entailed to target those people who are experiencing that issue. And we will need to have shift the way we think about equity. It's no longer about race, but it's also about age. It's also about gender. It's also about disability, right? And as part of my council, soon you will be seeing on my website the proposal that will entail, that will outline how we will get this done. And most importantly, cities are not run by individuals. Cities are run by teams. And I build a strong team of dedicated people who care deeply about the city to bring us to the next level of excellence. And many people are not talking about that. To date, no campaign manager yet. Because my campaign manager will be my chief of staff. And I'm doing a very deep research of people who have the same values that I have in including people, right? In reaching out to those who don't have a voice, they're going to see about the city. And also to make sure that the city's resources are allocated to the right programs and projects that will serve the people of this great city. Thank you all for being here with us today. And we hope that you will stay engaged in this campaign. Visit my website, send us emails and interact with your friends, your co-workers in making sure that we take our city back. Thank you all. And please vote Ali Jeng on town meeting day. Have a great and wonderful day. Okay. Bye-bye. Let's go. Vote, vote, vote for Ali Jeng. Vote, vote, vote for Ali Jeng. Let's do it. For the time is right. It's right. Let's unite. Good night. Vote, vote, vote for Ali Jeng.