Lena Sledge has announced her candidacy to represent District 7 in Madison City Council. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Lena Sledge is a candidate for Madison City Council, District 7.

Sledge entered the race “to improve city planning of our current state of congested traffic, provide better parking and an infrastructure that would give better and safer access to the community and small businesses.”

She believes Madison’s two major needs are transparency and accountability. “Our residents deserve to know what decisions made on their behalf and have a councilwoman (with) a proactive voice about issues that affect them.” Transparency is imperative for “taxpayer, state and federal funds to supplement and create projects.”

Sledge wants “safe sidewalks and walking paths (to) increase foot traffic to businesses.” District 7 has several such businesses, she said.

Formerly from Detroit, Mich., Sledge moved to Madison in 1995 to live near her father. Sledge earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

After taking filmmaking at Calhoun Community College, she works as an actress and a filmmaker. She wrote and directed her first film, a third-place winner in the River City Film Festival.

Next, she wrote, directed and starred in her web series, “Unplanned Motherhood.” She cast local talent and won a festival’s third-place honors. That series “went viral. I acquired two talent agents from the series’ visibility.”

Originally from Athens, her husband Michael works for BASF. Their children are Samantha, 24, who attends Calhoun; Matisse, 23, University of North Alabama graduate; Michael, 22, student at Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind; Terrell, 20, prospective college student; and Michaela, 16, upcoming junior at Bob Jones High School.

Sledge enjoys writing, mentoring, attending church and volunteering. Her family hikes at Rainbow Mountain. “On clear days, the view of the city is visually breathtaking,” she said.

Monthly on second Tuesdays, Sledge hosts “Chat with Lena” at Grounded Coffee on County Line Road from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. “Anyone is welcome to join me for coffee and chat about any issues that concern them regarding our city,” she said.

On Sunday evenings, she conducts “Chat with Lena” live on Facebook Live. She answers questions from voters. For platform information, visit lenasledge.org.