“With development underway in all corners of the city, transportation and accessibility to downtown and city services should also be at the forefront of leaders' minds, said West.
West relies on the bus system as her current form of transportation. Just attending City Council meetings is currently inaccessible through the bus system since it doesn't run during meeting times.
Non-native English speakers in Concord also face barriers to participation at city council meetings, she said. Without a translator present, the city inherently excludes a subset of the community that should have a voice in public engagement.
These are small changes that would improve access and representation for residents,” she said.
"In order to have people serving and participating, we first have to listen, understand what's keeping folks from being able to participate, and actively do work to find solutions for those barriers," she said.
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West previously sat on the Concord School Board, but was removed when she no longer lived in the district after losing her housing.
With her candidacy, she offers a perspective that is often not heard in city government, she said. And that's one of a renter, parent to a child in the school district, a public transportation user and someone who has put community engagement, steered towards positive change in Concord, at the forefront of her work.
"Representation matters," said West. "Those are truths about me that I believe will help inform my role as Mayor."
- Concord Monitor