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CANDIDATE ANNOUNCEMENT
The following announcement was submitted by Leigh Phillips, a candidate for Independence City Council District 1 and publisher of The Independence Standard. Candidate announcements are published at no charge. The same opportunity and space are available to all candidates in this race.
Leigh Phillips Announces Campaign for Independence City Council District 1
The people of District 1 deserve more than a name in a Council seat. They deserve a representative who listens to them, answers their questions and remembers that decisions made at City Hall affect real people, homes and neighborhoods.
After much prayer, consideration and conversations with my family and members of our community, I am announcing my campaign for the Independence City Council District 1 seat.
This campaign is about making District 1’s neighborhoods part of the conversation before decisions are made—not after residents are already living with the consequences.
It is about taking care of the basics: maintaining our streets and infrastructure, using taxpayer dollars responsibly, encouraging growth that benefits the people who already call Independence home and making public information easier for citizens to find and understand.
Residents should not have to fight to be heard. They should not need to spend countless hours searching for information or trying to determine how a decision was made. They deserve open government, clear answers and a meaningful voice in matters affecting their community.
For years, I have attended City Council and Planning Commission meetings, study sessions and public hearings. I have reviewed budgets, ordinances, development proposals and public records. I was also the only citizen who participated in the City’s two-day Council retreat, listening to discussions about City operations, priorities and the challenges ahead.
That work was not done to build a résumé. It was done because these decisions matter—and because anyone asking to represent District 1 should first be willing to put in the time to understand the job.
I also currently serve my second term as an elected Jackson County Committeewoman. That experience has reinforced that public service is not about the person holding the office. It is about listening to the people, doing the homework and remembering whom government is there to serve.
No representative will have every answer. District 1 should have someone willing to ask the questions, study the facts, listen to residents and explain decisions honestly.
This campaign belongs to the people who live and work in District 1 and care about its future. Over the coming months, I want to hear what is happening on your street, what concerns you and what you believe City Hall needs to understand.
I am grateful for every door God opens, and I trust Him with where this one leads. I am ready to listen, ready to work and ready to serve.
Leigh Phillips
Candidate for Independence City Council District 1
leighforcouncil.com
If this kind of reporting matters to you, stay engaged, ask questions, and take the time to understand how these decisions shape the future of our city.
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Voices of Independence, a column by Author, Cheri Battrick, is published as a standalone feature in The Independence Standard.
👉 Click below to read Cheri’s most recent column.
Until next time,
Truth. Clarity. Accountability. Faith in Action.
The Independence Standard is a locally focused publication committed to truth, clarity, and accountability.