To the editor,
I am writing in support of the candidacy of Jeff Dennis, a Democrat, running for the at-large seat of our City Council. Jeff filled the council seat of my late husband, Neocles, whose tragic death undercut his first year in office by three weeks. Jeff’s appointment to that position would have been celebrated by Neocles who regarded Jeff highly and saw in him a friend and a promising, like-minded colleague in BG’s political scene.
Jeff chose to ‘inherit’ two major issues from Neocles: addressing the Climate Change problem at the small-scale community of Bowling Green, and fair and effective regulation of rental properties at the city legislative and administrative levels. Among his many projects as councilman, Jeff prioritized these two issues.
It is sadly the truth that Climate Change IS a fact that we can continue to ‘debate’ at our own peril. Rather, our only choice is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by all means. Public investing in renewable energies and rigorous environmental sustainability efforts are thus necessary.
While the former hardly seems our City’s priority, Jeff has been deeply involved in the latter with ideas and energy that had a genuine impact. In chairing the Council’s Sustainability Committee, Jeff works tirelessly to expand and enhance recycling and composting programs that benefit our community and the environment. He also played a crucial role in the City’s Climate Action Planning whose goal is to eliminate CO2 emissions from our public services. It is hard to overstate the significance of this policy and Jeff’s contribution to it.
Moreover, effective rental regulation in Bowling Green is a point of decades-long contention involving the City, Council, landlords, individual citizens – including renters – and grass roots associations. Legislation for registration and (at the very least) self-inspection of thousands of rental units was finally achieved two years ago after a long, labored effort. Yet this law’s enforcement (if not its very validity) is currently being negotiated, practically debated…still!
Jeff is a staunch advocate of such enforcement while carefully and fairly considering viewpoints and needs of both property owners and renters. I have appreciated Jeff’s candor at the City Council (I’m watching!), his thorough understanding of the City’s laws, and most of all, his commitment to serving all residents of Bowling Green. This is why I urge my fellow citizens to support Jeff’s candidacy in any way they can, particularly with their vote.
Vassiliki Leontis
Bowling Green
