21: Five Things You Should Expect From Your Local Representatives

Five with Fry

What Should Your City Council Member Be Doing for You?

Ever wonder what your city council member actually does—or should be doing? In this episode of Five with Fry, Dr. Jen Fry sits down with Councilwoman Shontel Lewis of Denver’s District 8 to break it all down. As the only Black woman and the first openly queer Black woman on Denver’s City Council, Lewis brings both lived experience and political insight to this eye-opening conversation.

Together, they explore five essential things every constituent should expect from their local representatives—from crafting policies and updating ordinances to responding to community needs and making sure your tax dollars are spent wisely. Shontel doesn’t sugarcoat the realities of local government. Instead, she lays out exactly how council members should be showing up and why accountability starts with us.

Whether you're already tuned in to city politics or just starting to pay attention, this episode will help you understand how local government touches everything from affordable housing to potholes. Shontel’s message is clear: “There are no hard-to-serve communities, just hard-to-access programs.”

You’ll walk away with a sharper understanding of what effective public service looks like and the motivation to ask more of the people elected to represent you.

Follow the podcast @JenFryTalks and connect with Dr. Jen Fry on LinkedIn to keep the conversation going.

Chapters

1. Welcome to Five with Fry (00:00:00)

2. Meet Councilwoman Chantel M Lewis (00:01:32)

3. Responsive Constituent Services (00:05:21)

4. Legislative Duties and Policy Making (00:07:50)

5. Budget Oversight and City Charter (00:11:37)

6. Building Networks and Tracking Issues (00:14:22)

7. Meeting Attendance and Accountability (00:19:58)

8. Final Thoughts and Civic Engagement (00:24:45)