Hear it from me.

Dear Neighbor,

El Portal is rare with its tree-lined streets, neighbors who know each other, and a feeling of home that's getting harder to find. But lately, our community conversation has been taken over by tearing people down through constant criticism, rumors, and information pulled out of context and called "transparency." That isn't transparency. It's division, and it makes good people afraid to step forward.

Recently, a flyer went around asking, "Who is Velvet Connally?" It was wrongly prepared, but rightly titled. So let me answer that question for you.

I'm a mother, a business owner, a woman of faith, and a neighbor who cares deeply about this village. For the last several years, long before any campaign, I've been attending council meetings, asking hard questions, proposing solutions, and organizing events and meetings to unify our neighbors despite our differences. My track record speaks for itself.

But I haven't lived a perfect life, nor have I ever pretended to. Nearly twenty years ago, as a young mother, I went through one of the hardest chapters of my life. I was arrested, and I served time. I learned from those experiences and rebuilt my life to become the woman I am today: a woman of character, integrity, and good conscience. The information that was maliciously spread about me recently was deceptive and inaccurate. They mentioned lawsuits filed against me but left out that almost all of those suits were either dismissed entirely or ruled in my favor. It wasn't a list of improprieties. It was a list of times when I stood up to people who were more wealthy and powerful than myself and came out on top. It showed my record of not backing down from threats and instead doing the hard work of educating myself so I could properly defend what's right. That list shows exactly what makes me uniquely qualified to stand up for this village. Don't just take my word for it. Visit The Full Story at velvetconnally.com for the court documents behind some of those situations and feel free to ask me anything.

To whoever put that flyer together, my children and I forgive you and I personally thank you. You tried to damage my reputation, but instead you shed light on my track record of standing up to intimidation and pressure, and standing for what's right no matter the personal cost. That's what I've always done, and that's exactly what I'll do for the Village of El Portal. You also gave a clear example of who we are NOT as a village and what we must refuse to accept or become. Yet your conduct has gifted all of us with a personal decision to make. Are we going to be people who build up or people who tear down?

Today I run a company that helps women business owners build credit and access capital, so they can keep their doors open, create more jobs, and uplift their own communities. I'm a builder, not a destroyer. The question isn't whether I'm a perfect person. I'm not. The question is whether I'm qualified to represent the people of this village well, and I ask you to judge that by the quality of my work, my track record of standing for what's right in council meetings, how I treat people, and my work to bring this community together.

On the council, I'll work to bring new revenue into the village without raising taxes. I want to help create a village preservation fund that helps homeowners make critical repairs and protects properties important to the village from future development. I would like to see a village government that is organized, transparent, and accountable to residents, and a community that offers more opportunities to come together and enjoy each other's company.

On November 3rd, I'm asking for your vote for Seat 3. But today I'm asking for something bigger. I'm asking you to help me set a new standard for El Portal, one where we collectively rise above drama and bring truth, kindness, grace, compassion, and effectiveness back to the center. Let's disagree respectfully, ask hard questions in good faith, and debate ideas without tearing each other down. Enough damage has been done. Let me be the last person to experience anything like this in El Portal ever again. It's time for forgiveness. Let's heal our community together. The best is yet to come.

I'll see you around the neighborhood. God bless you.