Mary O'Connor City Council Campaign Statement

Here is Mary O's campaign statement, verbatim, unedited, and so forth:

O’Connor Campaign Announcement

Mary O’Connor recently announced her candidacy for Monona City Council.  “I believe that the diversity of my volunteer experience in Monona has provided me with the background and preparation to be an effective member of the Monona City Council.   I like to get things done and think I will bring a fresh perspective to the Council” says O’Connor.

An active supporter of the Monona Public Library, O’Connor is a long-time library board member and served as board President from 2000-07.  During her time on the board, she helped oversee the $3.5 million library expansion project and many improvements in services and programming, which culminated in Monona’s being named the Wisconsin Library of the Year in 2010.  Recently, as Treasurer of the Monona Library Foundation, she was heavily involved in their “Booked for Life” campaign, which raised $100,000 and earned a matching grant of $50,000 from the Madison Community Foundation.  O’Connor has also been an active member of the Friends of the Library Board since its inception.

In addition to her library service, O’Connor currently serves as Secretary of the Monona Grove Education Foundation and as a Chief Election Inspector, helping to manage the St. Stephens’ polling site.   As President of MG Sings, the Monona Grove High School choir boosters from 2007-09, she coordinated the annual Silver Stage Show Choir Competition which hosted 19 choirs and their supporters; and coordinated volunteers for the high school musicals.  In addition, she served as a leader of both of her daughters’ Girl Scout troops and co-chaired the annual cookie sale in Monona for 12 years.

O’Connor believes that some of the critical issues facing the Council and community include:

·         Maintaining city services in a time of severe fiscal constraint.

·         Continued redevelopment of Monona Drive and the Broadway corridor, both to strengthen existing businesses and bring in new ones; thereby expanding Monona’s tax base and providing for a more vibrant community.

·         Making Monona more attractive to young families which encourages investment in local housing and increases the school population.

·         Continuing to support the needs of Monona senior citizens.

·         Maintaining the city’s focus on sustainability which impacts city energy usage and lake preservation among other benefits.

·         Improving Monona’s public transportation system.

·         Working with other communities in the area to improve the quality of Lake Monona. 

O’Connor is married to Bob Bocher.  They have two daughters, both graduates of Monona Grove High School.  Claire, her husband Andrew Pautz and their son Liam live in Minneapolis.  Lauren is a student at UW-Madison. O’Connor received both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from UW-Madison and is currently employed as a librarian for UW-Extension.

 

Contact Mary at - oconnor4council@gmail.com