Opinion: Bartolotta Is An Accomplished Leader

Submitted by Liz Holder. Holder is Chair of the Commission on Conservation and Agriculture.
----------------
I am writing in support of Mary Bartolatta for the primary being held on Tuesday, September 10th. While a number of candidates running in the primary field are people of good will and fine character, I believe that Mary is the best candidate to be the next mayor of Middletown.

As a seasoned politician and the duly endorsed candidate of the Democratic Town Committee, Mary has built support by working for citizens of this city in her work on the Common Council and its various commissions over many years. She has taken tough stands when these were unpopular. From sponsoring a ban on fracking waste to her record of supporting the Clean Energy Task Force, Mary has shown that she takes stewardship of the city’s finances and of the local environment seriously.

While other progressive candidates have endorsed similar positions, Mary has worked to make these ordinances a reality during her eight years on the Common Council. She insisted that Middletown’s parks and playing fields should remain available to citizens of every economic means. She sponsored and helped to pass a ban on pesticide use for these fields, protecting the environment and public health for all.

In the last municipal election, Mary was the top vote recipient of all those elected to the Common Council. If those who support environmental issues and changes to the politics of City Hall engage in divisive politics, I fear that we may find ourselves with an outcome that is not what we would wish. I urge all citizens who would like to see a change in local politics to support and vote for Mary Bartolotta and the slate endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee.