In last year’s Moscow City Council race in November, Moscow residents elected two new city councilors — Maureen Laflin and Sandra Kelly, along with incumbent councilor Anne Zabala.
Laflin, a UI College of Law faculty member, is no stranger to city government. The youngest of six kids, Laflin said her father was involved in local government for as long as she can remember, serving on various commissions and city council before eventually becoming mayor of their hometown.
“I grew up in a family where public service was really important,” Laflin said.
Having worked in the law school’s legal aid clinic for 25 years and served as Deputy City Solicitor for Philadelphia, she described city council as giving her a different perspective.
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“I’ve already seen (government) from the legal side, but now I’m seeing it from the inside,” Laflin said.
Kelly, a member of nonprofits and volunteer groups in the community, works at Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute. Kelly said she didn’t run for city council with a specific agenda, and hopes to keep things operating smoothly.
“More than anything, I am excited to represent Moscow,” Kelly said. “I love how different, how opinionated and how active this community is.”
Like Laflin, Kelly cites a history of familial ties to community involvement as being her motivation for running in the city council election. Kelly said her father served as a state representative for District 22 in Mountain Home, Idaho, for four years.
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“I loved watching him serve,” Kelly said. “I have always been an advocate for human rights and women’s rights. So, my work — even as an elementary student — has pointed me in this direction.”
Zabala, who was re-elected to her city council position back in November, said jumping into local government was never her plan.
“When I moved (to Moscow) for college, I was looking for a different outlet to feel connections to the community,” Zabala said. “I wanted to feel like my values were represented at the city level and had not felt like that was the case.”
In the future, Zabala said she wants to continue focusing on what makes Moscow great, including helping the Palouse Basin Aquifer Committee implement an alternative water source for the area.
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“We’ve known for decades that our water supply is declining,” Zabala said. “Finding an alternative is the most important project in our region.”
Laflin, still relatively new to the council, said she loves learning the process of how government works.
“I didn’t come in here with a specific agenda that said, ‘I need to accomplish this,’” Laflin said. “What I am going to do is listen to people’s concerns and make sure they’re taken into consideration when we’re voting on issues.”
Kelly also said she didn’t campaign with an agenda.
“When people run with an agenda, it’s usually not a good thing,” Kelly said. “I’m excited to learn the process of how to fund certain things, knowing what projects are good and how to help our city thrive. I’m passionate about that.”
Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @angelapalermo7