But here’s what I’ve learned through my work on the School Board and as a neighborhood leader: when we show up, when we listen, and when we focus on getting things done rather than playing politics, people respond.
When I helped lead the work to renovate Welcome Stadium, it wasn’t just about creating a better facility for our students — it became a point of community pride. When I helped secure community benefit agreements that strengthen both our schools and businesses, neighbors saw that local government could actually work for them.
What is needed is to rebuild trust through action and accessibility. That means tackling the issues that keep people up at night. When families are struggling with housing costs, when business owners are struggling to get ahead, when neighborhoods feel forgotten — of course civic engagement and voting takes a backseat. By addressing homelessness and mental health services head-on, by strengthening neighborhoods through local leadership, and by better supporting entrepreneurs, we can show residents that local government can be a force for positive change in their lives.
What this requires is leaders who understand that the best solutions come when we bring people together and listen to all voices, rather than trying to score political points. My experience as a small businessowner taught me that success comes from understanding your customers’ needs. My work on the School Board showed me that building bridges between different stakeholders — schools, businesses, neighborhoods — creates stronger outcomes for everyone.
Dayton is positioned for amazing opportunities that can benefit all our residents. But we can’t afford to let these opportunities pass us by while a majority of our neighbors remain disengaged from the decisions that will shape their lives and our future.
Voter apathy isn’t inevitable. When our elected officials and civic leaders show up consistently, work hard on the issues that matter most to families, and never forget who we’re serving, residents respond. They get involved. They vote.
The paper route I had as a little girl taught me lessons that still guide me today: show up every day, be responsible to your neighbors, and remember you’re part of something bigger than yourself. These same principles can revitalize civic engagement in Dayton.
Our democracy and our city work best when everyone participates. Dayton can thrive when all voices are heard. It’s time for leadership that builds bridges through communication and collaboration and that focuses on solving problems rather than on political stunts. When residents see their local government working effectively on their behalf, they don’t stay home on Election Day — they become active participants in building the Dayton we all want to see.
The choice is ours: we can accept voter apathy as the status quo, or we can earn back the trust and engagement of every Daytonian through dedicated service and real results. I choose the latter, and I hope you’ll join me in that commitment.
Karen Wick is a candidate for Dayton City Commission.
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