RELEASE: Burriss Announces Upper Arlington City Council Candidacy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 30, 2019
Contact: Mark Finneran, Treasurer (614) 352-6473

Pledges to bring unparalleled enthusiasm, authenticity, and transparency

UPPER ARLINGTON—Attorney Michaela Burriss today announced her candidacy for Upper Arlington City Council. An active volunteer in the schools and local organizations, Burriss currently serves as the Treasurer-Elect of the Leadership UA Board of Directors and the Co-Area Director of Upper Arlington Bridges.

“I’m grateful for what UA has to offer my family and proud we chose it as our forever home,” said Burriss. “I’ll do my part to preserve and improve UA’s well-earned distinction as a place of community and prosperity.”

Burriss is a small business owner who has spent most of her career in the public sector including the U.S. Senate, Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives, as well as Small Business Majority, a nonprofit advocating for public policy solutions to grow small businesses. Her background includes policy drafting, constituent services, research, and conducting educational seminars on a wide range of complex issues such as access to capital, healthcare, and retirement.

“One of the most important things a public servant can be is a hard worker who is passionate. My entire career I’ve been successfully working alongside all kinds of people, no matter their political beliefs,” said Burriss. “My background, patience, and compassion will be an asset on City Council.”

Burriss has vowed to focus her campaign and first term, if elected, on:

  • Fiscal responsibility and a modern, pragmatic approach to governing

  • Standing up for the health and well-being of UA residents of all ages

  • Appropriately diversifying residential and commercial properties

  • Maintaining property values and neighborhood compatibility

  • Infrastructure needs and expected regional growth

“I’ve spent considerable time hearing from residents and weighing the issues most important to them,” said Burriss. “We need leaders whose vision for the future embraces the inevitability of change but won’t risk compromising what makes UA a great place to live.”

In the last Upper Arlington City Council election, Burriss finished fourth in fundraising and fifth of eight candidates in a contest for four seats. Her grassroots, positive campaign earned the support of 5,672 UA voters and an endorsement from EMILY’s List, the nation’s largest organization for women in politics, making her the only first-time candidate (in Ohio) and Central-Ohio candidate to do so in 2017. She will sign the Revive Civility pledge and commit to truthful, positive campaigning in 2019.

“Campaigning is hard but worthwhile work. I’ve never felt more love for UA than I did while going door-to-door throughout our community,” said Burriss. “I’m hopeful in 2019 I can build on those relationships. By stepping forward again I want my neighbors to see just how important all those conversations were to me.”

A first-time homeowner with her husband, Patrick, the Burriss family proudly resides on the UA July 4th parade route with their two dogs Bowser and Koopa.

For more information on Burriss, neighbors can visit the campaign website or the campaign Facebook page.

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