Strengthening & Supporting Our Community

"A community is only as healthy as its sickest resident, and only as wealthy as its most deprived."1

As Lebanon faces ongoing financial challenges and its residents confront increasing uncertainty, it's never been more important for us to focus on our community and work to support our neighbors. As we make difficult choices, it's critical to ensure that cuts and reductions are not achieved at the expense of our community's most vulnerable members.

Maintain social services. In tough financial climates, it's tempting to cut budgets wherever possible, but it's critical that we maintain the services that most benefit our least-privileged neighbors. Services like Advance Transit, LISTEN, WISE, and many others ensure that all of Lebanon's residents have access to basic necessities.

Promote community diversity and resiliency. Just as you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket, Lebanon needs a broad foundation to weather future challenges. Diversity is an asset, whether in population, industry, recreation, or economic opportunity. I'll work to encourage diversification across all these areas to make Lebanon stronger in the face of change.

1 Maya Angelou, Even the Stars Look Lonesome (New York NY: Bantam, 1998)