I have already talked about who I voted for. So today I am going to give some advice about researching your candidates.
• Remember, municipal government isn’t complicated, but it is diverse. The city’s elected officials have many decisions to make that relate to local taxes and fees, alcohol licenses and compliance, code enforcement, regulations, public safety, parks, quality of life and most important, infrastructure. And they must do all this in the open and transparently, or at least THEY SHOULD!
• They do not get involved with school funding issues. That is the job of the School Board. They also do not get involved with the judicial system, that is the county’s job. They do however get involved with many social issues in collaboration with the school district and county.
• Look for a candidate that is open, honest and with integrity.
• Look for a candidate with the least number of conflicts of interest as possible.
• Look for a candidate that is willing to listen and respond in a timely manner with solutions.
I can’t tell you whether to support people who are Republican or Democrat (it’s a non-partisan race) and I can’t tell you to support someone based on their professional resume, how they look, their age, their image or their race, sexual preference or religion. But I can tell you that your choice isn’t as complicated as you may think it is. If you like them, and are leaning towards that candidate, ask them the tough questions. Their one-on-one response to you will tell you all you need to know.
Now remember, GO VOTE!