Malik releases Together for Akron vision
Shammas Malik’s campaign for Mayor of Akron released today an overview of the plans he will bring to voters in the coming months.
Titled “Together for Akron,” Malik’s vision includes four key tenets – safety, economic development, health and housing, and education – with details for each to be released throughout this month.
“Akron is facing some huge challenges, in public safety, our schools, and a population that’s been shrinking for at least the last 30 years,” Malik said. “We need a new direction and a new style of leadership that’s empowering to our residents and speaks to their needs and the things they want to see for their community.”
The document released by the campaign highlights themes of collaboration, resident engagement, and equity. It outlines four issue areas for Akron: Safer Together, which will focus on public safety needs; Working Together, which will speak to strengthening business districts and removing barriers for workers; Living Together, which will highlight health, housing, and the environment; and Learning Together, which will discuss education spanning from early learning through workforce development.
“It’s not just what we do as a city that’s important, it’s also how we do it,” Malik said. “We have so much talent and passion here in Akron. What we need is a unifying vision everyone can see themselves reflected in. We all need to be moving in the same direction.”
“Together for Akron” is the result of meetings with community and business leaders, resident feedback, and best practices from around the country, according to Maria Duvuvuei, Malik’s campaign manager.
“We’re focused on tackling tough issues head-on,” Duvuvuei said. “That’s what Shammas has done during his time on City Council, and that’s the energy we’re bringing to this.”
Malik’s campaign will be unveiling high-level plans around each of the four areas in the next few weeks, followed by a series of community dialogue sessions that will give residents a chance to share their thoughts.
“We want to give voters more than just a platform,” Malik explained. “We really want to model through the campaign what Akron residents could expect from a Malik administration. So we’re inviting people to be part of the process.”
The campaign will incorporate feedback shared in the community dialogue sessions in its final detailed plans, which will be released in March.
“We want voters to have the time they need to fully understand where Shammas stands on the issues,” Duvuvuei said. “We also want them to have a better sense of the type of leader Shammas is, and to consider what type of leadership we need at this point in Akron’s history.”
View the plan at www.MalikForAkron.com/vision
Media contact:
Maria Duvuvuei
(330) 907-4405