So, I mentioned in a recent blog posting that I was, for the first time, entering my name as a candidate in a political race. Well, a semi-political race really; I am running for a position on a town commission that will be reviewing the town charter and possibly recommending to change the form of government currently used. The question I have already been asked is “why?” The short answer to the question is - “Now seems like as good a time as any.” Of course, there is much more to it than that. The reasons -
- I believe our town is at a critical juncture in it’s history.
While the current state of the economy tends to be first and foremost on so many peoples’ minds, I think that Salem, NH has other issues to consider. Salem has been and continues to grow in many ways. Whether it is resident population, commerce or position/perception from a regional or state level, Salem is changing at a rapid pace. During such times, it is important to assess all aspects of a community to ensure that infrastructure can effectively meet this change. The town government itself should be among the items under review.
The outcomes of the Town Charter Commission may result in and of itself in historic change for Salem. As a result, the makeup of the commission should be such that the recommendations are reflective of all of the factors in hand. This leads me to my second, and perhaps more important, reason for running… - I believe that this commission requires a diversity in it’s makeup.
After the March local elections, I was surprised to find out that the criteria for running for the Town Charter Commission was, in essence, wide open. What this meant was that even currently elected officials could run for a seat on the commission. This raised serious concerns in my mind.
Before I proceed further, let me state clearly that I do not necessarily think it is wrong for elected officials to run for the commission. However, a commission made up largely of elected officials run the risk of recommendations made from a limited point of view and frame of reference. A commission of this nature should have representation from all perspectives.
The ideal makeup of this commission should include people with business interests and residences without bias or preconceived notions based upon local government experience. I also believe that, ideally, representation should include both those that have been lifelong residents of Salem as well as those who have lived in other communities and experienced the positive and negative effects of various types of government. - If not myself, then who?
Finally, I realized that based upon my concerns I could either -
- Hope that someone else would step up and run for the commission, or;
- Step up myself.
As someone who believes that all members of the community should try whenever possible to help in bettering the community in whatever ways they possibly can, I realized that perhaps it was time for me to take this “next step” as a resident of our town. I sincerely believe that I could provide great value to the Town Charter Commission and represent the citizenry well. In addition, I believe the commitment needed to participate on this commission is a small and manageable task, especially when compared to the potential significance this commission may play in the future of our town.
I hope this helps to explain a bit more why I chose on April 1 to take the time to add my name to the ballot. As always, I invite feedback. You can click on the Comment link (to the right, under the title of this post), or you can reach me via the Contact page.