"Hello, my name is Debby Thompson, and I’m running for city council ward 1 Seat A. I have lived in Rochester for most of my life. The city is my home. It’s where I built my life, grown my business.

While this is my first time running for public office, I bring real life experience as a small business owner, a longtime resident, and someone who understands the everyday challenges and opportunities our community faces. I know what it means to work hard, to listen, and to be held accountable—all qualities I plan to bring to the city council.

My priorities are simple but meaningful. I want to help Rochester grow in smart, sustainable ways. I want to make sure our streets and public spaces are clean and well cared for. I want to work towards making Rochester a safer place for all, whether you’re raising a family, running a business, or just starting out.

This campaign isn’t about politics. It’s about people. It’s about showing up, doing the work, making sure Rochester continues to be a city we’re all proud to call home. I hope to get your support. I’m excited for the opportunity to serve you. Thank you."

Notes:

The Public Information and Community Engagement Office for the City of Rochester is pleased to announce that the Meet the Candidates video series is now available for viewing ahead of the upcoming Municipal Election.

The nonpartisan series introduces voters to candidates for Mayor, City Council, School Board, and Police Commission. Each candidate was given up to three minutes to speak directly to voters, share their priorities, and present their personal message.

To ensure fairness and transparency, all videos were recorded live in a single take, without edits, hosts, or predetermined questions.

The views and opinions expressed in the following video are those of the candidate and do not necessarily reflect the views of the City of Rochester, its elected officials or staff. The content is presented as part of a public information effort to provide equal opportunity for all candidates to address the community.

Transcript was taken directly from the GovTV website closed captioning. AI added bold/italic fonts for emphasis and separated paragraphs where appropriate.

In this survey, the candidate answered the following questions:

• "Why are you running?"
  
  

• "Do you support the city’s tax cap and for what, if any, reasons would you support going over it?"
  
  

• "How can Rochester ease the burden on residential property taxpayers?"
  
  

• "How can the city further the affordability and availability of housing? Do you support efforts in the state legislature aimed at reducing local control of zoning rules and regulations?"
  
  

• "What can Rochester do to attract new small businesses and support the small businesses already in the city?"
  
  

• "Rochester purchased the old Care Pharmacy and nearby properties for more than $3.3 million. Do you agree with this purchase and what should Rochester do with the property it now owns?"
  
  

• "Short-term and long-term, what should the mayor/council do about the growing homeless population in Rochester?"
  
  

• "The Legislature has empowered cities to create “social districts” where outdoor drinking of alcoholic beverages is allowed. Do you support bringing social districts to Rochester?"
  
  

• "What else would you like voters to know about you?"

You can view the survey by clicking here.

"Hello, I’m running for city council, ward 1. This community means a lot to me. It’s where I grew up; now my daughter lives here with her husband and my grandson.

These are a few of my ideas:

Taxes—— My priority’s are to fix our tax system. We need to shorten business tax incentives so the burden doesn’t fall so heavily on our homeowners.

Police—— I do not support defunding. We need more officers, not fewer. Everyone should feel safe walking downtown at night, like we used to.

Homelessness —— We need compassionate, effective solutions that help those in need and benefit the whole city.

Cleaner—— Rochester streets should reflect our community pride. We need to do a better job keeping public spaces and roadways clean.

Youth —— we need safe, accessible spaces where kids and teens can connect and engage in positive and fun activities.

If these sound good to you, please share this post and vote for me. Thank you."

Message from the Candidate via their Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18xD5Rh6ko/