The Villas and Public Service

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know 11th Ward Alderman Matt Villa over the last several months (Carondelet falls within the 11th Ward). I’ve bumped into him at a few community meetings, but the main way that I’ve gotten to know Matt is by meeting him on Friday mornings at the Foodland Grocery store on South Grand.



There’s a little makeshift “cafe” there and Matt holds “office hours” there each Friday morning from 8:30-9:30 to hear the concerns of his constituents and talk over whatever people would like to talk about.

From all that I’ve seen Matt is a very attentive alderman, tuned in to the 11th ward and its constituents and is responsive to people’s requests. Matt and his wife Laura, live in the 11th ward with their two boys. He has served as the 11th ward alderman for more than a dozen years.

But public service goes back a lot further in Matt’s family. His grandfather “Red” Villa was an alderman in Carondelet for years and held “office hours” himself, at a neighborhood watering hole. Here’s a bust of Alderman “Red” Villa (complete with stogie!) in the middle of the Ivory Triangle, commemorating his years in public service, especially in the 11th ward.



The scriptures say that we are to pay honor and respect to governing authorities to whom honor and respect are due (see below) they are God’s ministers, God's servants, to serve the people over whom they govern.

1Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Romans 13.1-7

Pray for Alderman Matt Villa, that he would continue to govern with integrity, serving the cause of justice, rewarding the good and punishing wrongdoers, and exercising his governing authority with wisdom and humility.