Candidates Chalnick, Engels the right team to lead city

To the Editor:

We are very lucky in South Burlington this year to have two highly qualified candidates running for the city council — Paul Engels and Andrew Chalnick.

They both have a tradition of participation in civic life. Engels has served on the city council, the city charter committee, the form-based code committee (as chair) and currently serves on the planning commission. His professional career was devoted to advocacy for the disability community and in passing supportive legislation at the national level.

He is a 35-year resident of one of South Burlington’s distinctive neighborhoods, Eastwoods. Chalnick is a more recent resident of South Burlington, but he has utterly committed himself to its betterment since his arrival. His service to the city has included the energy committee, transferable development rights committee, interim zoning committee and Climate Action Task Force and he currently serves on the planning commission. He held leadership positions on several of these and was also a key participant in the successful citizen acquisition of a precious open space targeted for development.

His professional career brings several key skill sets, global finance, team building and law. Both men are thoughtful, bright, hardworking and non-confrontational. Best of all, from my way of thinking, they are both committed to conservation and protection of the natural environment, both for its intrinsic value, but more especially as an imperative for sustaining the planet.

They see the necessity of reversing climate change and conserving energy, beginning at the local level. They will use their ideas and their energy to move South Burlington forward in a responsible manner that respects the land and nature, the carrying capacity of public services, the ability of taxpayers to continue to increase their own tax burdens, while directing growth of new affordable housing toward our urban core.

Please vote for Paul Engels and Andrew Chalnick during early voting (contact the city clerk’s office) or on Town Meeting Day March 7.

Sarah L. Dopp

South Burlington