Candidate Profile: Anthony Davis for Lakewood City Council

Editor's Note: As part of Lakewood Patch's local election coverage, we will provide profiles of. These profiles will offer biographical and issue-oriented details about each of the candidates to help you, the voters, make more-informed decisions at the ballot box.

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Name: Anthony Davis 

Age: 34 

Occupation: Public Contact Representative, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Education: BBA, Marketing; Cleveland State University

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Office Sought: Lakewood City Council At-Large

Previous Political Office Sought: 2009 – Lakewood City Council (At-Large)

Candidate statement: The story of the great comeback of Cleveland’s inner-ring suburbs may someday be written. For now, they are all suffering with problems related to the long-term decline of the regional economy.

Built during an earlier era of prosperity, Lakewood finds itself struggling to deal with a host of challenges that offer no easy solutions. Unlike many of its neighbors, however, it has the assets to position itself to become the progressive community of choice for families and businesses.

Whether or not the city can achieve such a lofty goal will depend upon luck and the collective efforts of its residents. 

The needs a fundamental redirection towards reducing citizen apathy and engaging residents to become more informed. Its current lack of energy, focus, and determination does as much damage to the city as any slumlord or lawbreaker.

If elected, one of my top priorities would be to develop more meaningful communication with residents and raise their expectation levels of city government. I would also advocate for greater government transparency and challenge the status quo, particularly in the city’s troubled Fourth Ward.