Stephanie Malench, candidate for mayor in Edwardsville, IL
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More on the election for Edwardsville mayor
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Name:
Stephanie Malench
Political party (if applicable):
Independent
Age as of April 6, 2021:
45
Campaign website or social media page:
https://www.facebook.com/Stephanie-Malench-for-Mayor-of-Edwardsville-100690361803651
Office seeking:
Edwardsville mayor
Are you an incumbent?
No
Previous offices sought:
None
Occupation:
Editor/reporter at Times-Tribune newspaper in Troy
Education:
Master’s degree in Social Work from St. Louis University
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Past board member for Glen-Ed Food Pantry; past member of Junior Service Club of Edwardsville/Glen Carbon; member of the Dissolve CARD ballot initiative group in Collinsville for the 2018 election; founding president and past member of the Collinsville Cool Cities Committee; current member of the Edwardsville Cool Cities Committee; founder and current member of Bring Your Own Glen-Ed, the grassroots environmental-advocacy group that helped get a single-use bag fee ordinance passed in Edwardsville; and contributor to the Madison County Historical Society newsletter.
Why are you running?
I am running for mayor because I grew up in Edwardsville, and I am concerned about the plans for extensive growth of the city along the Interstate 55 corridor. It will undoubtedly lead to an increase in property taxes that many homeowners, especially those on fixed incomes, already struggle to pay. The area is predominantly farmland and undeveloped land that is home to wildlife.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it?
My top issue is focusing more on current residents (human and animal), infrastructure and properties in Edwardsville. I plan on doing this by holding neighborhood focus-group meetings to see what the residents of each neighborhood identify as their top needs and ensuring those needs are met before expansion takes place. This will also help keep property taxes down because additional schools will not need to be built to accommodate a significantly larger population. The current city leaders want to see Edwardsville’s population grow to 36,000 over the next 15 years, even though the state’s population is dropping.
Why should people vote for you?
A vote for me is a vote for fiscal and environmental responsibility while improving the lives of city residents.
This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Stephanie Malench, candidate for mayor in Edwardsville, IL."