MANSFIELD – Amanda Stanfield has announced her candidacy for City Council of Mansfield’s Fourth Ward, which encompasses the northwest portion of the city.
Stanfield has lived in Mansfield for 21 years, with 19 of those being in the Fourth Ward. She and her husband, Matthew, have been married for 24 years and have seven children. She is currently a Licensed Paraprofessional at The Richland School of Academic Arts.
She previously worked at The Salvation Army Dewald Community Center, and spent ten years working at the Ontario Target.
Stanfield has been an active volunteer in the Mansfield community. She co-founded the North Lake Community Garden, is a Certified Master Gardener, and was the leader of the North Lake Park Neighborhood Watch for over ten years. She has been a member of Mosaic Church for 8 years and is active in the children’s ministry there.
It is no secret that the reputation of the North End is not a positive one, she noted. High crime and abandoned houses have contributed to its demise. However, Stanfield said she has grown to love where she lives, and has a fierce determination to stay.
“Over the last 19 years we have seen it all,” she said. “People think we are crazy for living here and have questioned whether we are responsible parents for raising our children in this environment. I have always had the same response when awful things have happened, and that is ‘The people that are causing the problems are the ones that need to move. I am NOT leaving.’”
For far too long, Stanfield said the Fourth Ward has been underrepresented in our city government. She promises to bring a bipartisan representation to the ward residents.
“Comprehensive community involvement and the restoration of pride is on the top of my list,” Stanfield said, regarding what she plans to do once she is in office. “This area has been neglected for far too long. The attitude needs to shift from enabling to empowerment.”
Stanfield is collecting Republican and Non-Party voter signatures for her election petition and is interested in hearing about resident’s ideas for improving the fourth ward and city government. She can be reached at empowerward4@gmail.com.
