Milford residents deserve to know what Lisa Emery’s actual qualifications and beliefs are

To the Editor:

What are Lisa Emery’s actual qualifications to serve as Mayor of Milford Borough?

Currently, she claims her roots, status as a military spouse and parent, and patriotism as her sole qualifications.

Your birthplace is not a birthright -- one’s community involvement is what should define someone’s commitment to their community, and up until her run for Mayor, what has Emery actually done for the betterment of Milford?

No one will deny the challenges military families face -- military families should always have our utmost respect for their sacrifice for our nation -- but what we don’t know is what that experience has taught her.

The notion of patriotism is subjective -- it means different things to different people, and cannot and should not be encapsulated in a singular definition.

Borough residents and business owners deserve to know what experiences, skills, and knowledge qualify Emery to serve as the Mayor of our County Seat. Managing the police department of a small, but bustling town is no small task, and residents deserve to know it is in experienced, capable hands. Our local business owners deserve to know what her vision is for continuing to develop our community as a town that thrives economically 365 days per year -- not solely during the summer tourist season. The local charitable groups such as the Milford Enhance Committee need a Mayor who will go out of their way to ensure our town has the funding to remain a beautiful place to live. And, all of those who live and work in Milford deserve to know their Mayor respects them and will show up to defend them -- regardless of who they are or where they come from -- not openly bash their sexuality in a local bar and only apologize when it’s politically expedient to do so.

By refusing thus far to engage in a public debate with incumbent Mayor Sean Strub, how can Milford residents show up at the ballot box in November with an educated understanding of Emery’s qualifications and vision for the Borough?

If Emery wishes to serve as the Milford Mayor, she should start showing her dedication to the community she claims to love by showing up to a public debate ready to talk about her vision for the Borough, prepared to answer tough questions, and be transparent about what her actual qualifications for Mayor actually are -- or aren’t.

Milford residents deserve to know what Lisa Emery’s actual qualifications and beliefs are,

Tracey Vitchers

Milford Borough