About Last Night

Our high school and junior high school PTSAs hosted a Meet the Candidates night last night.  One of our terrific US History teachers at the junior high moderated the event for us.  We ended up with about 75 people there to watch and listen.  All six city council candidates participated.

You know there are a lot of reasons to not enjoy campaign season--especially when it is a big national election year.  But this year is a local, municipal election, and there really should be a higher interest in the local stuff than the federal level, in my opinion.

The issues our city council decides affect our families, our schools, our children, our safety and our well-being locally.  We feel the effect of the state and national decisions too, but not to the same extent as the local ones.

Our city is a very nice place to live.  But we have struggled drawing a broad base of business to town, and keeping those that are already here.  We struggle with the growth of young families, the influx of multi-family housing and green space balance.  We struggle with providing adequate safety coverage--fire and police and clean water and sewage systems--for a city of our size, and age.  We struggle with the demands of wanted amenities for residents, and the need to do financial things responsibly.

There is no quick fix to the problem and challenges our city faces.  But I am please that six qualified, willing, enthusiastic candidates are willing to put themselves out there and run for the three council positions that are open this year. 

Now if the residents will just go out and make their informed choices on Tuesday.  We've done what we can to help them make the best choices we can.