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[February 18, 2025]
Dear Editor:
I would like to share my support for my husband and partner in all
things, Tracy Welch. I am often asked, why Tracy enjoys working for
the people of Lincoln and most of all, why anyone would subject
themselves to all this and choose to run again for Mayor. It is easy
to see from my vantage point. The choice is simple for him, because
he loves helping others!
A little about us, we are in our early 50’s and after raising our
daughters Kayla 32, Haley 28 whom both graduated from LCHS, we have
more time in our lives now to give back to our community. He got
more involved in Lincoln politics after years of watching meetings
and having his own opinions, he wanted to be more involved. I work
full-time at Bard Optical, originally here in the Lincoln office,
now as an Area Manager. I also Co-Chair the Hometown Hero Veteran
Banners downtown with Kate Wright. I served on the County Board for
several years but have since taken a step back due to my career
growth. Other than Tracy’s time serving in the US Army, we’ve always
resided here since being married.
What you may not know is that there is a lot more that goes into
being Mayor, at least that is what I’ve experience with Tracy’s
personal expectations of how he feels he should support his
community as Alderman and now Mayor. A lot more goes into it than
just the publicly displayed weekly meetings. For Tracy this started
with Transparency with the meetings as an alderman. When joining the
council in 2016, he personally bought a GoPro and asked to stream
the meetings online so more people would watch online and be aware
of who their elected officials were and what decisions were being
made. To me, what that meant was, when you have nothing to hide, you
do not care that people are watching and listening.
He worked hard for 4 years before deciding he would be a suitable
candidate to run for Mayor. Once he became Mayor, first as Pro
Tempe, then as Voted in by our community, he continued to find new
ways to reach out to others. Next was the idea of starting Coffee
with the Mayor, every other month downtown on Saturdays. He
remembered how intimidating it was before he was on council to come
up to City Hall and sit in the back of the room. He felt like a
chance to grab a cup of coffee, listen to what the latest info was,
and get the chance to ask your questions in a more comfortable
setting may let people feel more engaged with the people who are
elected to run the city. If you have not gotten a chance to visit
one, you should!
He is accessible and approachable. A national vendor from my work
was out of state and ran into someone from Lincoln. He asked if he
knew who I was. The man said yes, and that, it’s a little-known
secret that if you have a question for him, you can run into the
Mayor and his wife on Wednesday’s Trivia at Spirited Republic. Our
friends can tell you this has happened many times! Same with dinner
at El Mazatlan with his brothers Jerry and Ashley; Sister-in-law
Sara, and I, or even shopping at Walmart from time to time. I have
gotten used to this. Really, that is part of the job, right?
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Our family and friends can easily tell you what a
typical month looks like for our household. Even my work family can
answer this because they are the first ones to let me know every
time they see our pictures out on Lincoln Daily News, active in our
community. I try to join Tracy on this crazy ride whenever I can.
You can often find us at ribbon cuttings, always getting to know the
annual Logan County Fair Queens and regularly seeing Andrea Runge
from LEAD, catching up with her at these and many other events.
During the summers you can find us in downtown Lincoln at Third
Fridays either at a bouncy house, or visiting with families or
friends in the downtown area. Last fall the city added the addition
of Movie in the Park, which was a great success, one of which was
teamed up with DARE, both teamed up with Lincoln Park District. You
may even see us out supporting a Lady Railers Basketball game that
we also enjoy in our own personal time. Regardless of what we are
actively doing in the community, I truly believe Tracy does his best
to be approachable, accessible and available for whatever people
stop and ask him, as that’s what the job calls for.
Sometimes the job brings unscheduled crises. He may receive a call
from a department head or one of the Chiefs or likewise needing to
reach out to them for questions and issues, all of which he has good
working relationships with. Other times, he needs to collaborate
with the aldermen/women to make certain they have the most up to
date information on what is happening in the city. In one recent
situation, we were downtown during the Idle Hour fire. When Chief
Johnson had a moment Tracy checked in with him to make sure he had
everything he needed. I feel a good leader trusts others to do their
jobs but makes certain they have the tools they need to successfully
do so. From a distance, this is what I think makes him a successful
leader and has helped him grow his relationship with others in the
city. I admire that in Tracy. I too am a leader in my company
serving on the executive board. I also served on the County Board.
In closing, as a voter, I would like to recommend Tracy. As a wife,
I want you to know how hard he works because he cares. I know his
integrity and truth because I see it. I know he has nothing to hide,
and you can continue to expect the exact same hard work and strong
relationships in the city that you have come to see thus far.
Regardless of your choice, please choose to get out and vote. Early
Voting is available now through Feb 24th at the courthouse,
including Saturday and late hours the 24th. Tuesday 2/25 is Election
Day, only at Lincoln Christian Church downtown. Call the County
Clerk’s office at 217-732-4148 for questions.
Annette Welch |
