A letter to the Editor endorsing Tracy Welch for re-election to the position of Mayor

[February 14, 2025]  Dear Editor:

I am writing this letter in support of the candidacy of Tracy Welch in his re-election bid for mayor of the City of Lincoln.

I served on the Lincoln City Council from 2017 to 2021 and enjoyed the distinct privilege of witnessing the leadership of Mr. Welch both as a fellow alderman, and then to his elevation as mayor. I honestly did not know him well before taking my seat on the council, but it took me only the first meeting for me to realize that Mr. Welch considered (and still considers) his role in city government as a true public servant and in no way service for himself.

Time does not permit me to express every quality which Mayor Welch brings to the table, but I will relay some significant observations pertinent to the mayoral position and his leadership capability.

1. Mayor Welch listens to his constituents. He genuinely enjoys conversing with any and every resident, and possesses an amazing willingness to invite feedback, even if it means pushback to city initiatives. He never fails to answer with, “I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.” He makes it a point to attend community functions and events, and frankly, there may be no person in the city of Lincoln who has his pulse on the heartbeat of what our residents think and feel more than our current mayor. Be it the weathering of the COVID pandemic or the uncertainty of the Logan Correctional Center, Mayor Welch has and always will be a strong advocate for our city’s needs.

2. Mayor Welch commits himself to finding solutions, rather than allowing problems to be a stumbling block. After several intense city council discussions in which all potential pitfalls and challenges of a given topic are aired and belabored, Mayor Welch has often responded with: “We can find all the reasons why we shouldn’t do this, instead of finding ways how we can make this work.” Those leadership words are game-changers and transfer the entire direction and tenor of a conversation. With those words, several weighty city issues have been moved from discussion to action.

3. Mayor Welch is future oriented. True leaders don’t just focus on the here and now but attempt to analyze and recognize the long-term impact of decisions, and they share a vision for what is desired decades down the road.

When situations call for rethinking and the opportunity arises to think anew and act anew, Mayor Welch has often stated, “That is now in the past; now moving forward…” Despite our city and regional economic downturn in recent years, Mayor Welch has refused to allow negativity to cloud his optimism for a brighter future. Particularly impressive are his ideas and his continuous efforts to forge collaborations with external partners, officials, and agencies to spur local investment and to leverage our economic opportunities.

4. Mayor Welch is a man of character. It seems it is becoming increasingly difficult to find role models among elected officials. But at least locally, one needs to look no further than Mayor Welch. He possesses compassion, honesty, perseverance, civility, and intellect – all character traits universally admired about Abraham Lincoln. Not bad company to be in and attributes which should be expected of a leader in our namesake city, particularly the one at the helm.

Leadership is not just for the moment, but also for the future. Who we entrust most to move us in that direction is a question before the voters on Tuesday, February 25. To me the answer is easy. I implore you to cast your vote for Tracy Welch for Mayor.

Ron Keller
Lincoln resident