Malik offers ‘ability and the energy to lead Akron forward’ | Steve and Sophie Albrecht

We are supporting Shammas Malik for mayor of Akron.

Let us explain why, but first let us say Mayor Dan Horrigan deserves a lot of credit for positioning Akron for the future. He has been a steady hand, always professional and constructive in meetings, thoughtful and practical, and reasonably polite about differing opinions and strategies. Dan has been rock solid in very challenging times, but Dan is stepping down. So, who should Akron elect to pick up the torch?

We think mayoral candidate Shammas Malik, Akron born and bred, has the ability and the energy to lead Akron forward. This election is not about fixing potholes or snowplowing, important as those services are to a city. But right now, Akron confronts some very consequential issues that beg for smart, proactive, all-hands-on-deck leadership.

Our Akron population is declining, a sign of serious structural problems and missed opportunity. There is turmoil in City Council and dysfunction on the school board. There is a pervasive frustration about a growing crime rate and what to do about it. Flight, blight, vacant lots, ancient housing, an aging, changing population — we are not the only city with these challenges — but our troubles are being handled in a way that is sapping the self-confidence of the Akron community and leading us nowhere.

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This turmoil and dysfunction may be explained by the stresses created by a looming decline in the tax revenue needed to support city services and our schools. Regardless, there are potentially controversial and destabilizing policy and budget choices ahead. Akron needs a leader who can bring reason and clarity to our priorities and policy options. We need to feel confident decisions on budgets and expenditures are responsibly and transparently made. The challenges never end, nothing stays the same, the sky is always falling and not everyone will be happy and satisfied, but we think as mayor, Shammas Malik can connect the dots and thoughtfully lead Akron in the right direction.

Akron needs a leader with strong convictions. We need a mayor who is really good at establishing priorities, translating them into policies, and working with City Council to reflect them in the city’s operating and capital budgets. For more insight into Malik’s views of the road ahead, visit MalikforAkron.com.

Leadership based on strong convictions is very difficult to do, but we think as mayor, Shammas Malik will analyze the options and make sensible decisions.

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Akron needs a mayor who can build consensus. Malik is a good listener. He is out on the trail and he recognizes the importance of building consensus. I’ve met with Shammas only a few times and both times we disagreed! But I could tell he was listening and processing and had his valid reasons.

Consensus is also very difficult to do, but we think Malik will keep his finger on the pulse of the community.

Experience? Fortunately, Akron has a deep bench, a very capable, professional, and experienced staff — and that includes mayoral candidate Marco Sommerville, deputy mayor. The staff turns the wheels of the city, but vision and strategy is not in their job description. Vision and strategy are at the center of the mayor’s job. Lack of experience may be a strength for Malik. Maybe a fresh perspective with no strings attached will cut the knots that bind us to past ways of thinking.

There are wrongs to right, issues to untangle, priorities to set, institutions to reorganize and policies and budgets to wrangle. Just the job for a millennial returning home from afar.

Malik will need plenty of help, but we think he is the kind of person who will be happy in the job and will lead with much needed zest and enthusiasm. We do have our fingers crossed, but we think he will build an even better Akron.

So, that is why we are supporting Shammas Malik for mayor of Akron.

Sophie and Steve Albrecht are Akron residents.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Shammas Malik offers ‘ability and the energy to lead Akron forward’