Lee Vogler’s Reelection Announcement

SouthsideCentral is glad to publish Danville City Council candidates’ election/reelection announcement speech in their entirety as a public service.

Today, Lee Vogler announced his candidacy for reelection. Here is his statement.

Again, this is from Lee Vogler.

Four years ago, we began a movement. A movement not about a particular candidate or even a singular election. This was a movement to re-energize our city. For nearly two decades, Danville struggled with population loss and a rapidly evolving global economy. We had reached a critical point in our city’s history. There were some who said it was time to accept the inevitable: Danville’s best days were behind us.

For many of us, however, this was a scenario that could not, and would not, be accepted. After all, we live in a country whose people have always rose to face the challenges of its day. Danville in the 21st Century would be no different.

I launched my campaign for City Council on the basis of promoting new ideas with real results. And on May 1, 2012 the people of Danville gave me the great honor of becoming the youngest elected Councilman in our city’s history.

Over the past four years, my mission has been to promote new ideas with real results. From fulfilling campaign promises of securing a Virginia Scenic Rivers designation for the Dan River, and reforming our sign ordinance to allow businesses to advertise on certain city properties, to making it easier for food trucks to operate in Danville, we have worked to modernize our city.
Part of this modernization was a proposal I introduced to create an open data system on the city website that would allow taxpayers to see how every dime and dollar of their money was being spent, in an easy to use platform. This is the type of transparency our citizens deserve. Today, Open Data Danville is now online and available for anyone to use. Other cities, such as Richmond, have followed in our footsteps.

In addition to this, I’ve proposed the creation of a mobile device-friendly website where Danville Utilities customers can report a power outage. For years, the only way an outage could be reported is by calling an automated system via telephone. Today, over 65% of Americans own a smartphone. This additional option for our citizens will streamline the process of reporting an outage. Thankfully, this system is currently being developed in Danville.

The world and its economy is rapidly changing. Danville needs leaders who not only understand this fact, but embrace it. One of the largest retailers in the world, Amazon, doesn’t own any stores. One of the largest transportation companies is Uber. They don’t own any cars. America is experiencing the equivalency of an industrial revolution every five years. For example, it took the telephone 75 years to reach 100 million users. It took Candy Crush, the game, less than one year. If Danville doesn’t have leaders who understand the economic transformation that is occurring in the 21st Century, we will be left behind. I am committed to making sure that does not happen.

I’ve spent my term on City Council working to make Danville more business-friendly. Whether it was reducing the wait time for a rezoning appeal from twelve months to four, or repealing outdated regulations, this has been a mission of mine. There is still more we can do, but I will continue to work with our city leaders to make it happen.

Public transportation is a key component to our local economy and our citizens quality of life. In 2013, I introduced a proposal that prevented a bus fare increase that would have negatively impacted many of our citizens. In pushing for more efficiency, I worked with Council to adopt a transition of our public transportation fleet to propane fuel. This transition, scheduled to begin in 2016, will save the taxpayers thousands of dollars each year.

As an early advocate for a strong downtown, known today as the River District, it has been encouraging to watch it grow and thrive. Four years ago, roughly 200 people lived in the River District. Today, it has over 2,000 and growing. In that time span, nearly two dozen new businesses have opened. Private sector investment in the district has topped $100 million. In addition to this, one of the new ideas Council implemented was the designation of a Tourism Zone that included the River District, as well as North Main hill. Today, that section of North Main has seen the return of the Historic North Theatre, as well as a new dance studio, a Farm to Table restaurant, and Danville’s first Thai restaurant.

Proposing new ideas is certainly important, but ultimately, one’s time on Council should be judged by what they accomplished, not just what they said. Combating blight in Danville is an issue I’ve been involved with in my time on Council. Nearly two years ago, I laid out a proposal for a Land Bank entity in Danville that would make it easier to get blighted properties in the hands of those who would revitalize them. Unfortunately, state law at the time prevented us from doing this. Therefore, I began working with Delegate Danny Marshall to craft Land Bank legislation at the state level. It required a year of work and many meetings in Richmond, but currently a bill is before the House and Senate that will allow localities to create Land Bank entities. For Danville, it means building stronger neighborhoods and saving taxpayers money. It will be a new idea with real results.

Tourism is an industry that hasn’t fully been tapped into in Danville. One area I believe we have great potential in is Sports Tourism. It’s why I proposed, and Council approved, cutting all of our recreational facility fees in half, as well as reducing and eliminating other fees, such as the $50 library fee. By reducing these fees, we will expand the revenue base by encouraging more people to make use of our facilities.

As proud as I am of the progress we’ve made in the past four years, I’m even more energized about the next four. The consequences of this City Council election could not be more profound. The progress Danville has made could be erased in one election if the right leaders aren’t in place. With that in mind, today I am officially announcing my intention to seek reelection to Danville’s City Council.

We still face many challenges ahead. The most fundamental responsibility a local government has is public safety. There is no higher priority. I have long advocated for a more decentralized approach to policing, that puts officers on the streets and in these neighborhoods where crime is more prevalent. I have proposed adding small, pop up precincts in areas where violent crime is occurring. This allows for a consistent presence without a significant cost investment. It also helps build trust between the police and the residents. This has been proven to work all across the country and, in the past, in Danville. These proposals continue to gain support amongst Council and our citizens. I am hopeful they will be implemented in the year ahead.
I promised the citizens of Danville that I would be the most accessible Councilman our city has ever had. In the past four years, I’ve worked very hard to live up to that promise. I was the first Danville City Councilman to list their Facebook page on their business card. I communicate regularly with citizens on various social media platforms, as well as e-mail and other traditional methods. In addition to this, I’ve held several town halls and attended neighborhood meetings. If re-elected, citizens can rest assured I will continue to be available to them.

Serving the people of Danville as their City Councilman has been one of the great honors of my life. I truly love this city. It has been my home and always will be. My father is a mailman. My mother worked in retail. Growing up, we were never rich and still aren’t, but I was taught valuable life lessons of hard work, caring for your neighbors and standing up for what you believe in. These are lessons my wife, Blair, and I now teach our young son.

I’m sure there has been a vote or two I’ve taken along the way that you may not have agreed with. My hope, however, is that people will know that I’ve always done what I felt, in my heart, was right for Danville. Becoming the youngest elected Councilman came with many questions about how I would fare. Voters now have a four year track record of someone who has fought to be proactive in promoting positive solutions for our city.

I’ve always considered myself a public servant, rather than a politician. My job is to be a voice for the people of Danville. I’ve been honored and blessed by the support from our citizens. We’ve done many great things together. I truly believe a New Danville is Rising. One built for the 21st Century. Blair and I want our son to grow up in a Danville even better than the one we did. That should always be our goal, as a people. I’ve often said, I don’t believe Danville’s best days are written in history books or on the wall of a museum. I believe they still lie in the hopes and dreams of our people. I am committed to that belief now more than ever. Danville is a better place today than it was just four years ago. Together, we will build a safer Danville, with a vibrant, diversified economy and a strong school system. From all across our city, a new generation of leadership is emerging in Danville. And our best days are still to come. I look forward to the months ahead and humbly ask for your support on May 3rd. Thank you.