The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
October 21, 2008
NOW WHAT?
I have to admit, I was expecting a number of candidates in the upcoming Municipal Elections but never would I have ever expected to see twenty people vying for the five seats on Town Council.
Frankly, I'm quite surprised so many people have such a keen interest in civic politics.
I had no idea so many local residents were qualified for the job.
I know I can rest easy knowing that whatever the outcome of the voting on November 15th that our community and it's future will be in good hands.
Or is it?
I've already been doing some 'Monday morning quarterbacking' and if you do the math there's a very good possibility that the Town of Princeton could end up being run by complete newcomers to the job, including some with little or no experience whatever on Municipal Council.
If the message being sent by the number of candidates interested in the job is
'Time For A Change' then I think that message has been received loud and clear.
I remember the year I ran for Council (1999) and there were only five of us running for four seats. The Mayor was re-elected by acclamation. Looking back on it, I suppose there really wasn't all that much interest in what was happening in the local political scene.
I have NEVER seen 20 candidates running for five seats in the 22 plus years I've lived here, and I think it could very well be a Town of Princeton record.
And I do think there's a message in those numbers.
Maybe there's room for some change and I have to say that any and all the candidates - regardless of what you may or may not know about them - deserve a little pat on the back for being brave enough to toss their hats in the ring with hopes of having a little to do with the future of our community.
I know when I ran for Council I thought I could make a contribution of some kind to the community I had chosen to stay in and call my home. I thought that maybe my voice, however small it was in the overall scheme of things, may actually be heard on issues I cared about and issues I was passionate about.
I did not run for council thinking my single vote at the council table was going to make huge changes or grind the wheels of progress to a halt.
I was looking forward to working with a council that including voices from different segments of the community - which I thought gave
'the team' a real sense of balance.
I was also looking forward to lively debate and a team atmosphere where all of us could be winners.
I never got that chance as I was not elected to Town Council.
But I've always admired those who were elected by the people they work for to run our town as best they can with the tools they have available.
And although I've never always agreed with some of the things they've done, they've simply done what they can with the best interest of those of us they work for in mind.
Hopefully the new team carries on that tradition.
