If I Were Mayor of My Town | Teen Ink

If I Were Mayor of My Town

November 17, 2017
By espressoart SILVER, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
espressoart SILVER, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
9 articles 11 photos 0 comments

Betterment for the community, is what I work for. As returning Mayor of Oconomowoc, I now know more ways to engage and educate the he people of Oconomowoc. After taking consideration of the sources within our department, things have been noted in need of reconstructing. 

Neighborhoods are my first area of interest importance. There are few sidewalks in neighborhoods, and majority do not have any sort of paved shoulder for pedestrian convenience.  When cars pass, children on bikes, parents with strollers, and a trip to the mailbox may cause a person to step aside on the grass and rubble until it passes. With upcoming neighborhoods and apartment complexes skyrocketing in the past 10 years, young families move out to the suburbs to settle into a new life. Neighborhood pedestrian safety is a necessity. Sidewalks provide an assurance of comfortability, and can be paved from the roadway or widening the shoulders of a road. This will allow people to feel more comfortable stepping out of their homes and engage more with their neighbors, bonding a community.

My second priority is to add more substance abuse programs to control our opioid epidemic. Additionally, when engaging with young people who are moving out to the suburban area, schools will begin having police officers and counselors talk about the dangers of abused substances. Too many young people in this town and nearby towns have overdosed simply because they are privileged to have the money for it, and can never identify whether or not it is safe.   Approaching students before coming into high school is more useful than introducing DARE programs in fourth grade, when the developing frontal lobe cannot distinguish the seriousness of drugs.  Through the DARE program we will bring dare to eighth graders.  A general lack of knowledge is what makes the young and growing teens interested, and when they only hear the opinions of drugs from faulty sources, it could take their young life too soon. People tend to want what they do not have. Let's educate students so that there is no curiosity in the first place. By installing a program that all students will partake in, it will provoke attentive behavior.


Lastly, Oconomowoc has minimal entertainment businesses. In 2008 when the market crashed, our up and coming idea of a mall was demolished.  Now with an improved economy, we want to implement a strip mall with stores that appeal to the community. This will be done through a survey taken online. We will contact businesses first so that we can assure that if voted for, the store will be added. This will limit people from having to drive into other cities to shop, and can find new comfort in getting to know the town of Oconomowoc, while bringing new revenue into our city.


I  am confident that with these actions, the community will come together to unite and partake in positive activities and feel safe while doing so.



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