By V Fixmer-Oraiz, Iowa City
As the 2021 Iowa City Council election draws closer, I look forward to casting my vote for Megan Alter. I served with her on the Housing and Community Development Commission for two years and have witnessed firsthand her passion and commitment to social and racial equity. She is not afraid to ask the difficult questions and is always ready to put herself out there when she perceives injustice.
When COVID-19 hit our communities last spring, many of us were stunned and nervously sheltering in place. I was not surprised to find that Megan jumped into action and began working with other community members and leaders to create Neighborhood Nests (micro-hubs for at-risk students), where students could not only have access to the internet, but food and a sense of community. I was able to visit with Megan earlier this year and I was excited to hear her bold commitment to not “returning to normal” given all of the broken systems we have in place that are not equitably serving all of our community members.
Please join me and cast your vote for Megan Alter next Tuesday. She shows up for our community when we are faced with difficult challenges because she knows that there’s only one way to get through it together.
By Kelcey Patrick-Ferree, Iowa City
In our upcoming city council election, I will vote for Megan Alter, and I hope you will, too.
I’ve known Megan for several years. In that time, she’s been a tireless advocate for improving Iowa City through her work on boards and commissions from the city’s Housing and Community Development Commission to the South District Neighborhood Association to the Black Voices Project. When the COVID epidemic hit and it became clear that many families were going to have problems accessing a safe space and the internet while schools were online-only, Megan jumped into building the Neighborhood NESTS (Nurturing Every Student Together Safely) program.
Right now, Megan is focused on continuing to support our community as the COVID crisis continues by bringing thriving local retail to all of Iowa City and supporting our hardest-hit residents. She has a track record of making change to better support our most vulnerable residents, and I am looking forward to seeing what she does for Iowa City next. And I know that she can do so much more with a city council seat.
Please join me in voting for Megan Alter, a candidate dedicated to improving Iowa City for all of us, on Nov. 2.
