WILMINGTON — The 2019 local elections will feature several crowded races, including Wilmington City Council, where three incumbents and six challengers are running for three open seats.
Kimberly Spader, a licensed clinical social worker who runs a private practice in Wilmington, is one of several new faces running for council. Spader has lived in the area for 20 years and recently moved downtown with her husband.
According to a release from Spader, “I moved to Wilmington to attend UNCW when I was 17 years old in 2000. I fell so deeply in love with this city have decided to make this my home, which was unexpected for a person who was accustomed to the constant moves of a military family.”
Spader said she hopes to see Wilmington “grow in a responsible, sustainable way that addresses all of the concerns of the people living here. I intend to utilize my skills as a listener and a communicator to offer the City Council a perspective I do not feel it currently has.”
Spader said she would focus on three main issues: communication, affordable housing, and transportation.
Spader issued brief statements on each issue:
- “Create a clear line of communication between the citizens of Wilmington and the City Council. Would like this to be public and online, so that every citizen has the opportunity to state their concerns as well as offer valuable insights. Very often community members have creative and interesting ideas that will likely be useful in the Council making decisions that impact the city. Likewise, the Council deserves an opportunity to explain their logic in making some decisions that may seem illogical to citizens. Like with any relationship, an open and honest communication pattern can make all of the difference in building trust.”
- “Affordable Housing: Hurricane Florence only added to the problem of affordable housing in Wilmington and surrounding areas. This crisis is affecting everyday people who make their living in the service industry, health care, teachers, construction workers and all of the folks who make living in Wilmington such an amazing experience. We currently have many citizens on planning boards and commissions looking at this issue and we will need to give those folks a real voice at the table when making plans for the city. We will also need to have an open mind and look at some other cities for creative city planning.”
- “Efficient transportation system. Everyone deserves to have access to the community in which they live. It can be easy to forget that people with disabilities, people who cannot afford a second car for their families, people who are single parents and are the sole providers for their family, elderly folks who have difficulty with vision, etc. There are so many reasons a person may not have access to a car. Those folks have the same needs that we all do. We need to get to the bank, the grocery store, we have medical needs and we also want to contribute to the economic development of the community in which we live. Effective transportation systems will encourage all areas of town to expand in the types of commerce available. For instance, if a person is thinking of opening a wine shop, their chances of being successful in Monkey Junction increase when we create an easy way for community members of Downtown to get there. If people can get there, they will spend money.”
You can find Spader’s candidate Facebook page here.
