People at a coffee shop: Gennifer takes the plunge

JANUARY 18, 2025 - PAT SHIPLETT — Like people everywhere, the crowd at our corner coffee shop likes to complain. Why don’t “they” do something about the potholes, economic development, residential density, etc. etc.

Well, at least one person among us has decided to do something about things. It’s possible she will become one of the “theys” we wag our fingers at.

Even in a well-mannered suburban village, running for elected office is not for the faint of heart. The first step is getting on the ballot.

Gennifer Geer secured nearly double the signatures needed to qualify by sharing her vision for the city. And as she listens her ideas will evolve.

If elected, she would represent around 8,600 residents in a ward of mostly historic homes and apartments dating back to the Civil War.

The retirement of a seven-term council member offers an opportunity to explore new ideas and to evaluate old ones long on the books. A previous city council, for example, proclaimed the village to be a “nuclear-free zone.”

Gennifer advocates for fiscal sobriety, green spaces, bike lanes and charging stations. She thinks participatory budgeting and rank-choice voting offer promise.

She jokes that running for office has made her more visible and that she’ll be staying on her “best behavior.” When public hearings drag on past midnight – and speakers blow past their allotted minutes – a easy sense of humor like hers is a point of survival.

You may want to stop in and share a cup of coffee. The candidate’s more than little interesting and she may soon be the “they’ you’ll call when that downed tree is still blocking your back alleyway.