Ed Franklin announces his run for City Council District 2 seat

ED FRANKLIN

Downtown merchant Ed Franklin has announced his candidacy for a District 2 seat on the Washington City Council.

Having moved to Washington four years ago, he said, he is proud to call this great town home. "There is an incredible sense of wonder about the town, but the most important aspect is the people who live here," he said. "I have never felt more welcome and wanted anywhere else."

A native of Lakeland, Florida, Franklin had visited Washington off and on for over a year before he decided that this was the place he wanted to be. "I gave up 'Big City' life in favor of what I thought would be a slower and simpler pace here in Washington," he said. He invested in The Old Bank Building and helped set up "The Antique Exchange" with Robert Geiger. Lagging sales forced the business to close, he said, but he and Geiger had already started "The Talk of the Town" at the Fitzpatrick Hotel. They operated there for a year before moving across The Square to a newly renovated location in the former "It's Fashion" building.

Having encountered first hand the difficulties of starting and maintaining a small business in Washington, he said, "I will strive to help other entrepreneurs to get established, both on the Square and in outlying areas."

But Franklin sees real challenges in governing the city, and sees the need for changes. "I have attended a majority of the City Council meet- ings during my stay here and there seems to be a recurring theme of in-fighting, racism, and a sense of 'business as usual' that seems to be so counter-productive that I have to wonder why anyone even bothers showing up to the meetings."

He feels he can serve his new home as a member of the council. "Fortunately I have established myself as a level-headed individual who is a hard worker," he said, "and if elected to City Council I will dedicate myself to working for the community as a whole and do what is right, not for the sake of spoiling a vote or letting personality conflictshinder good decision making, but for making Washington an even greater place to live for us all."

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