There was a letter to the editor today (or maybe a guest column) about the uncontested race for City Council. I agree with Ms. Scott that there should have been more people running but that was not to be. I would like to make two points:
1. There is nothing preventing members of other parties (or no party) from running for office. It doesn’t cost that much but it does require a lot of legwork. This isn’t some pie in the sky notion either, Steve R. has been doing it for 25 or so years. All it requires is the will to get up and do it.
2. Dividing the City up into wards or precincts was an idea that I really liked until about a year after my election. I thought it would provide better representation to City residents. However, it would have some unintended side-effects. The first, most important, effect would be that no longer are you represented by 6 Council members, you are represented by 1. This is an important distinction and here’s a quick (true) story as to why:
Say that there is a development going in near your neighborhood. You and yours are mad about it and want to let the Council know about it. You call all of the Council members and they all come to your neighborhood meeting to hear you out. They agree and things happen. They have to happen – your vote helps elect each and every one of them.
Now, run that scenario with a ward system:
You are mad about a development in your area. You call your member of Council and vent. He agrees with you and thinks the development needs to be changed. This is about as far as you are going to get. He is only 1 of 6. The other 5 might think that this project is too important. Heck, the other 5 might not even take meetings with you. You don’t elect them!!!
Having all of the members elected at-large provides the people with more leverage over the actions of the council. All that is required is that the citizens take the time to use that leverage.
Now, there will be those of you that discount what I’m saying as a technicality and believe that I’m afraid for my job or some such. Let me tell you with complete candor that I’m not all that crazy about this job. However, if I were inclined to be a life-long elected I would be agitating for a ward system right now. It would cut the amount of work I need to do in order to get elected by 80%. I live in the Baldwin precinct – why on earth would I knock on doors in Weems, Haydon, Metz or Dean? They don’t elect me so I wouldn’t bother. Neither would anyone else.
This may seem cynical but look at what happens in the District. It would take some time for Manassas to get that way but it would happen.
May 7, 2008 at 11:21 am
Andy, I agree with your comments about the Ward system. It could then boil down to six fiefdoms each of which would be more focused on itself rather than on the greater good of the whole City. Yes, it would be easier to run in a ward and, yes, it would be easier to be ward councilmember, in terms of the time commitment. Thus, you would likely get more contested elections.
I’m not advocating Federalism. But with a City as small as ours (37,000 people), I like the idea of having candidates reach out to all citizens to be voted in and having six council members to turn to if I have an issue to be addressed. I encourage everyone who cares about this City and likes to see things run differently or who has ideas in how to move the City forward and would like to enable those changes to run for office. Man, it’s hard work; it takes a sacrifice; but it’s very rewarding and you learn a lot about the City. It can be humbling, too! Or it should be!
May 7, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Andy,
I agree with both of your points. There is nothing stopping Democrats or Indpendents from seeking office. As part of the “party machine” (I say this tongue-in-cheek), part of me is glad that the opposition is weak in this city, but part of me would enjoy a challenger once in a while. Trying to unseat Steve R. every four years is not what I am talking about, nor is it something I look forward to.
I don’t like the idea of Wards, Alderman, or precint-type representation. I grew up in a city that had this, and you are right about the dynamic that it would cause. Imagine what the budgeting cycle would be like, with each trying to “bring home the Pork”. It’s bad enough we have to deal with that at the state and federal levels. We don’t need it in the city too.
May 7, 2008 at 2:00 pm
There are many opportunities to learn humility serving as an
elected local official, especially in Virginia. Our beloved Commonwealth
is, of course. one of the few remaining Dillon Rule states – named
for 19th century Judge John Forest Dillon who ruled “municipalities
are mere tenants at will of their respective state legislators”.
That is bad enough, but in doing more research I found
an article where he observed ” Individuals on city governing
bodies are most often not the better sort of people. They
are not to be trusted unwatched near your daughter, a bottle
of whiskey or the public purse.”
May 7, 2008 at 2:01 pm
IMNSHO a ward system ONLY benefits the politicians, not the citizens. That the ‘opposition’ has no electable/viable candidates in my mind does not mean the City should change it’s electoral process, there is ample opportunity for anyone to run AND get elected.
May 7, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Dave:
To my mind, a ward system would seem to lead to a reduction in contested elections….although I am open to the idea that I am wrong…:)
May 7, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Not really germane to this topic, but just read the May 2008 edition
of Virginia Magazine and their annual list of the 50 fastest-growing private companies in Virginia has a Manassas firm as #1.
– Oberon Associates, Inc. – an engineering and information technology
company that serves many government and technology customers.
– Also honored as #21 – V2 Systems Inc. of Manassas.
Great to do business in Manassas.
May 7, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Some thoughts –
– Agree at-large elections, at least in Manassas, are better than
a ward system. All citizens should be served by all councilmembers.
– There are two strong organized political groups in Manassas –
the two wings of the Republican Party (can also see elements of
this at the state and national level). The “right wing” and the
more moderate business “Main St.” GOPers. The real Manassas election
this year was in the Republican mass meeting and the moderates won.
Consequently, no challenge in the general from the middle-
of-the road — the Republicans already controlled it.
May 7, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Steve, I agree with your point about the contest being at the Republican Convention although I might quibble slightly with your terms. I would say “fiscal, social conservative” and “fiscal, social moderate”. Although not everyone fits neatly in those two categories — I for one am a social moderate. in one area — I drink in moderation!
Andy, to me if you only have to run in one ward, you represent a smaller constituency — less doors to knock on, less citizens to be responsive to — that would encourage people to seek office. Look at some of the ward races in yesterday’s races in other Virginia cities, well contested (e.g. Lynchburg). But as mentioned earlier, the negatives far outweigh this one positive.
May 8, 2008 at 8:09 am
I would say that nobody fits neatly into those terms and the situation may change with some regularity. My short experience on Council has proved over and over again that the ago old saying “it depends on whose ox is being gored” is true beyond any doubt…:)
May 8, 2008 at 10:47 am
Many good points made above. Implementing a ward system would be exceedingly devisive. I can only imagine the potential disputes relating to how ward lines would be drawn. Neighborhoods would be divided and politically separated from the rest of the town. Let this be the last time a ward system is discussed.
May 9, 2008 at 11:18 am
A few years ago the MJM ran an editorial bemoaning low
voter turn out for a municipal election and offered that since only
one in five eligible voters voted then “their vote represented
themselves AND four other people”. On that theory, those
casting a vote on May 6th in Manassas represented themselves
and more than nine other individuals – you voted for TEN people.
(Total registered voters – 18,338 —- Total Voting – 1,650. That nine
percent marks the lowest in the 135 year history of Manassas).
What happened to the 16,688 individuals that didn’t vote? Why?
Note – the school board race was contested.
Thoughts?
May 12, 2008 at 10:43 pm
I chuckle to read how self congratulatory those in power are so quick to dismiss a new idea.
Over the 8 years I have lived here, I have appeared before City Council to get help to:
** get a more than a 20 minute response to a gang fight and destruction of personal property from local police.
** get a street light replaced without having 3 separate utility trucks sent to do the job.
** enforce zoning laws for single family residences.
** have trash picked all the time.
But NO city councilor including Andy and Steve have ever bothered to respond.
Tired of government officials who say that they respond but never do.
BTW, Andy H never could find where the proposed on City Council website event though that is how it was published in a city newsletter to residents, and he never bothered to follow up.
So, if that is what this current system gives us…city councilors, when they hear about a problem, NEVER follow up.
But then, Andy and Steve are in power. Why should they want to change things. They have it good. Their trash is picked up, and they don’t have to worrry about the police coming to protect them when they call. Why cant the rest of us have that?
Deniability and Non Responsiveness.
It is clearly tadvantageous o have accountability. The current system suck and does not work given my 8 years of experience including just a month ago. A ward system will give us it to us…at least better than the current system.
So you guys in power, stop whinning and start responding.
May 13, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Mr. Osina, Please leave and go somewhere else. Your whining is really getting on my nerves. As I said on the last post, if your not happy, why do you stay or better yet, why not run for council. You are such a cry baby! By the way, a ward system not only is not needed, it would suck as you put it. I want every last member responsible to me. Maybe they don’t respond because you can not be pleased no matter how hard they try. And my thought is, why try when there are citizens who can be and truly want to be helped.
May 19, 2008 at 8:11 am
Andy, we need to remind citizens that there will be a special meeting
and public hearings tonight (5-19) at city hall. The meeting starts at 7
with the time certain of 7:30 for the public hearing on the
proposed downtown sector plan. It should be interesting.