Welcome to the 27th Ward Newsletter! Preparing for the Next Leap At 30, I’m finding that life is increasingly measured by transitions. One week it’s a wedding. Another, a funeral. Then a graduation. And lately, more and more, conversations about work. I hear from peers taking bold leaps after spending a decade at the same company. I hear from others whose jobs have been eliminated as technology evolves and federal decisions reshape local economies. Some change is chosen. Some is imposed. But all of it asks the same question: are we prepared for what comes next? That question is not just personal. It is civic. The world is constantly changing, but it is felt locally first. When institutions are slow to adapt, everyday people pay the price before anyone else. Small businesses feel it. Seniors feel it. Working families feel it. And young people often carry the longest consequences. If we are not prepared, the effects of change do not stay abstract for long. They show up on our blocks, in our schools, and around our kitchen tables. That is the challenge we are facing right now in conversations about Grand Avenue, One Fair Wage, the city budget, and our schools. On the surface, these may seem like separate issues. But underneath them is one larger responsibility: making sure our community is prepared, protected, and heard in a time of rapid change. In my first six months in office, I have had the chance to work with some of the brightest people in city government. Their commitment is real. Their talent is real. But too often, they are being asked to solve today’s problems inside systems built for a different era. Rules that have not kept up. Processes that no longer match the pace of change. Institutions that too often ask people to be patient when what they really need is progress. That is why I believe we have to be thoughtful about the policies we write and the decisions we make. Short-term fixes can be tempting, especially when pressure is high. But a bandage is not a cure. If we want lasting results, we have to think beyond the next headline and beyond the next crisis. We have to build for the long term. That is the work I am committed to doing. And it starts with transparency. I want you to know what laws we are considering, what developments are being proposed, and how those decisions could affect your daily life. I want people brought into the conversation before something happens, not after. And I want to keep listening, because your feedback is not a formality. It is how better decisions get made. As we move into the summer, our office will be sharing more about what is happening at both the city and neighborhood levels. We will be more intentional about inviting residents into the conversation and more direct about where things stand. In a moment when so much feels uncertain, you deserve clarity, honesty, and responsiveness. Please know this: we are paying attention. We are on top of these issues, even when the path forward is not simple, and we are grateful for the way so many of you continue to speak up, share your concerns, and push us to do better. Change will always be part of life. The goal is not to stop it. The goal is to be ready for it; to meet it with preparation, purpose, and a clear sense of who we are fighting for. That is how we take the next leap. Together. Sincerely, Ald. Walter Redmond Burnett | 
