One of the attributes I value most in council members is civility. In my view in order to be an effective member of council you need to be able to work with the other council members, staff, and residents to move the ball on a variety of issues. Everyone brings different perspectives to the table. The ability to share these in a civil manner is an essential part of developing good public policy. There is no member of council that I have served with that I have agreed with 100% of the time. On the other hand, every member of council whom I served with has contributed a unique idea or thought that helped create better policy.
Additionally, I believe the city is best served when we have qualified council members who represent different perspectives within the community (this includes geographic location, neighborhood type, gender …) and bring different skillsets. Click here to read a recent post I wrote on evaluating city council candidates.
Overall I am impressed with the quality of candidates that chose to run this year. They all have much to commend them. Wayne Tanaka, who enthusiasm is infectious, announced his withdrawal from the race in his opening statement at the debate on October 10th.
Below are links to videos of the candidates in different settings. by Scott Hart, an engaged Highland resident, recorded and published them. Thank you Scott!
Informative 10 minute Q&A sessions with the four candidates who took advantage of Scott’s free offer to record them - (Jun/July)
15 minute Q&A Session with Scott Hart recorded in October
20 minute Q&A sessions with candidates in a small group setting – Sept 17th
90 minute debate with all candidates – Oct 10th
2 minute opening statements, 1 minute responses, 1.5 minute closing statements
I encourage everyone to cast an informed ballot. Watch the videos, talk with the candidates, discuss candidates with your neighbors and other trusted community members. Ballots can be dropped in the secure ballot drop box located on the north side of city hall up to election day Tuesday November 5th. They can also be mailed but need to be post marked by November 4th.
Useful Links:
- Candidate written responses to the following questions from the July Meet the Candidate event.
- Open Space and Park issues affect all residents in the City. Potential solutions may involve resident buy in, additional expenditures, allocation of resources, etc. When an issue impacts so many what steps will you take to reach a solution?
- After reviewing the City Budget, what are your plans for ensuring the long term fiscal health of the City?
- If a property owner requests to rezone property to something other than R-1-40, what process would you go through to determine your vote?
- If you could change one thing about the City going forward, what would it be and why?
- Candidate Bios in the Daily Herald
- Candidate Bios from Highland City Website
- Evaluating City Council Candidates (guide to evaluating candidates for city council).
- Highland City 2019 Primary Result Summary
- Selecting Candidates For Political Office
- Deciding Which Box To Check On Your Ballot
- Questions For Candidates that Won’t Be Asked In A Debate
- Tips On Influencing Local Government
- Civility In Politics
- Crimes Of The Tongue
- Integrity by Charles C. Krulak
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