With the upcoming Burlington City Council elections, KBUR had the opportunity to sit down with one of the three candidates for the two opening city council seats.
Robert Critser tells KBUR that he grew up in Burlington, and after losing his mother at 8 years old, he lived with his father under less than favorable conditions. Thus at 16, he moved back to Burlington.
“The Plan Was to emancipate myself only, that costs money and you need a lawyer, so technically I was a runaway. But I finished my Junior and Senior year of high school on my own, dealt with some things like homelessness and..was a victim of violence at some point. I had a kid curb stomp me and break my jaw, lived out in the manor and had someone kick our door down and hold us up at knifepoint, and rob us. I overcame all that and I’ve been with Walmart for 20 years, I did six years in the guard, I got my college degree.”
And after all that he’s been through Critser says that getting on the city council would be the best way to give back to his community. He believes his relatability and love of his community make him the man for the job.
“I want to represent Burlington, I want to Represent all people whether you agree with me or disagree with me,” said Critser
Interviews with the other city council candidates will be on the way before the first council forum which will be held on Tuesday at 5 pm.
