Megan Outten appointed to Salisbury City Council District 3 seat
SALISBURY, Md. – Salisbury City Council is welcoming Megan Outten as its newest member, after Jack Heath stepped up to the role of mayor.
No Newcomer to Local Politics
Megan Outten was appointed to represent District 3, with unanimous Council approval.
“It’s still hard to kind of wrap it around my head. For the past year, I spent my time actually campaigning for the county, and here I am now with the opportunity to represent Salisbury as a city. I’m really excited about that, and extremely grateful that it was a unanimous vote with the Council,” said Outten.
Outten is no newcomer to local politics, as she ran for County Council last year. She says the first few days in office are going to be very busy. Outten plans to be in her district, knocking on doors and meeting her newly gained constituents.
“I’m really planning to just dive right in. First and foremost, I want to connect with everyone at the City formally. Then next, I really want to take the time to connect with the residents of the community,” said Outten. “Just because I’ve been appointed to this role does not mean I’m not planning on engaging with them. I really want to be as hands-on with my district as possible.”
Getting To Work
With all the projects and initiatives underway in the city, Outten says she’s ready to get to work. A top priority for Outten is increasing affordable housing in the city, and retaining local talent that is homegrown in Salisbury. Young professionals need the opportunity to let their roots grow deeper, says Outten.
“I think the first step is to make sure that they have affordable housing here for them to stick around,” said Outten. “We have three fantastic institutions here on the Eastern Shore, with Salisbury University, Wor-Wic, and UMES. We’re cultivating some phenomenal talent. But, we’re not really giving them much of an opportunity to stay and build a home here.”
Outten says each member of Council brings a unique perspective to the table. And hers might come from the fact that she is the youngest member.
“We benefit from the leadership that comes from that next generation,” said Outten. “I definitely believe my age will be a benefit there. I do provide sometimes a little bit of a fresh perspective on what some of our younger generations are looking for when it comes to community and transparency in local government.”
Message To Constituents
But before Outten has the chance to meet her new constituents face to face, she has this message for them:
“I’m here to represent you. I’m excited, and have been grateful to call Salisbury home my entire life. So, to be able to represent my hometown now is really a huge honor,” said Outten.
