This page summarises the vision statement that accompanied Jay Breneman’s 2017 campaign for mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania. It is based on the archive and describes the candidate’s stated plans at that time. It is a record of campaign material, not independent reporting.
The starting point
The statement argued that crises during the administration of the day had created an opening for change. It said Erie needed leadership that would support employers, revitalise neighbourhoods, reduce crime through intervention and education, support teachers and schools, and put the city’s comprehensive plan into practice.
Record cited
Breneman described himself as an elected official who understood that problems in one ward or district affect everyone. He said that, while in county office, he had acted to create the Erie County Department of Veterans Affairs and had co-created the East Side Opportunity Corridor, and that he had supported neighbourhood associations, community centres and young people. These are his claims as printed in the archive.
Schools
The statement took issue with the idea that a mayor has no role in schools or job creation. It proposed an office that would link the public schools, the network of parochial and private schools and community and state resources, so that no school faces its challenges alone.
Neighbourhoods
Priorities listed included zoning concerns, encouraging teachers and public employees to live in the areas they serve, and helping students focus on their futures rather than on violence and blight.
Employers
To local employers, the candidate promised relationship-building, help in creating family-sustaining jobs and partnerships that would attract further businesses to strengthen existing networks and infrastructure.
Closing message
The statement ended with a promise to keep serving the city so that it would be a place where families build lives, shape careers and work together for a safe and prosperous future.
Related items
The platform called “Erie’s New Deal” is covered in the platform announcement, and the launch essay is summarised in Charting a New Course Together.