My name is Parth R Patel, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to ask for your support.
About 30 years, my parents immigrated to the United States from the state of Gujarat in India. They settled in Bartlett and decided to raise children there. Bartlett has been my lifelong home, and I want nothing more than to see this community thrive.
After obtaining my CPA license and working as a financial auditor for 2 years, it occurred to me that I wasn't asking the right questions about what kind of person I want to be. When I was invited to my first protest, which was in pursuit of climate justice, the guiding questions which catalyzed me to take action on behalf of my neighbors and friends were: "If not me, then who?" and "If not now, then when?"
I’m running for office because I want to expand the circle of justice. About a year ago, I organized some residents to advocate for 100% renewable energy, no new fossil fuel infrastructure, and divestment because I felt that local environmental justice was lacking. I want to bring this same orientation towards justice to decisions made by the Library Board. Specifically, I want to:
- Improve marketing of the full suite of Library services
- Enact energy efficiency improvements and a community solar subscription
- Develop a comprehensive community outreach plan to enhance alignment of residents' needs with Library programming
The funds from this campaign will be used to make our first purchases of campaign literature, direct mail pieces, door hangers, and yard signs.
