[February 24, 2025]  As we head into the final days of the consolidated primary election, where the next Mayor for the City of Lincoln will be decided by the voters, I ask for a few moments of your time.

Throughout this campaign I have spent my time visiting with constituents and hosting events to discuss the many accomplishments we have seen during my tenure such as infrastructure improvements, advancements in economic development, quality of life enhancements, and initiatives to focus on the safety of our community and its residents, and more.

Now, you may have seen that one of my opponents has written numerous letters. Readers have been left to decide whether what is being shared is fact or fiction. I can assure you that some of the information being shared is simply not accurate or critical information has been withheld, thus creating a false narrative. I encourage you to do your research or simply reach out and ask questions.

One thing that I would like to clarify is that there are active lawsuits against both the City of Lincoln and the Logan County Board. Although I was personally named on both, I was removed from the case against the City in 2021 leaving the City of Lincoln as the sole defendant. At the advice of lawyers, I cannot go into further details about these cases, but they are filed in Federal Court and as such, anybody can go to pacermonitor.com and review the information shared by all parties. Here are the details about both:

• Kavelman v. City of Lincoln (3:21-cv-03114) – Filed 5/17/2021
• Kavelman v. Logan County Board (3:23-cv-03283) – Filed 9/26/2023

Also, my opponent has made numerous statements about a debate. I assure you that these lawsuits are the very reason that a debate was not possible. I have been advised that doing so could potentially expose the City and/or my family to further litigation and I don’t feel that’s fair to either, or the taxpayers for that matter.
 
That being said, we have a lot of work ahead of us. The City is working on a Strategic Plan to ensure we are focusing on the things that matter most to our constituents. After almost three decades we will finally see the 5th Street Road Project begin this year. Given recent news, we should see the Lincoln Developmental Center property come back to life in some capacity. The Logan County Board Chairman and I have made intentional efforts to rebuild the relationship between both entities, and there are numerous other efforts in progress to improve our community. We must also continue the ongoing fight to save Logan Correctional Center.

For the reasons I have shared in this letter and others, I truly believe I am the best candidate to lead our City for the next four years. I have also received the endorsement of several well-respected leaders of our community such as Senator Sally Turner, State Representative Bill Hauter, Chuck Conzo, Dr. Robert Kidd, Bill Gossett, and each of the City department heads in their personal capacity.

If you haven’t voted already, you can still vote early on Monday at the Logan County Courthouse from 8:30am - 6:30pm or on Tuesday at the Lincoln Christian Church from 6am – 7pm.

I respectfully ask for your vote and thank you for your time.

Mayor Tracy Welch

 [Text from file received]