Raj Chaphalkar
St. Joseph
I was recently asked my opinion on St. Joseph’s mayoral race. After meeting with candidates in a personal setting, I was deeply impressed by Adam Scepaniak’s thoughtful, forward-looking approach to our community’s needs. Adam brings a blend of kindness, humility and intelligence to the table. It’s this facilitative style that I think makes him the sort of leader our city council needs right now.
Adam has proposed sensible and concrete steps to improve our city: establishing term limits for city officials, creating a CSB/SJU student role on city commissions and exploring strategies to secure transportation grants. He also envisions development in our downtown and future downtown areas to preserve our green spaces, and he has shown interest in exploring progressive ventures such as a municipal recreational cannabis dispensary and a residential chicken coop ordinance.
What stood out most about Adam was his quiet commitment to listening to residents’ concerns. He goes out of his way to address real issues, such as when he won a grant to add a crosswalk after hearing from an older resident concerned about traffic safety in his neighborhood.
Adam’s calm, stable leadership style honors both our traditions and our younger families and businesses seeking growth. I believe his vision for our city’s future is both inspiring and attainable. I invite residents of St. Joseph to join me in voting for Adam Scepaniak as mayor for the next two-year term.