It might be a bit of a challenge to figure out who to vote for in the upcoming November 5 election. Maybe I can help you to decide.
I’m talking about the Takoma Park city election, not the Presidential and Congressional elections. (By the way, the two elections are physically separate, so do both.)
Historically In Takoma Park — at least as far as I can recall — city elections have usually been rather ho-hum affairs because incumbents like to keep their seats and sometimes challengers are scant. But not this year! This year early registrations reveal that at least three of the ward seats, maybe more, will be vigorously contested.
We won’t know the complete candidate list until the September 10 nominating caucus, which determines who is on the ballot for mayor and each of the six wards.
So who will you vote for? How do you decide?
I am not here profiling candidates, naming names or arguing issues. Instead, I hope to explain what to look for in a candidate while also having reasonable expectations. I served four terms on the city council and in that time worked side by side with 13 different council colleagues including two mayors. Some were better than others. I know what makes a good Takoma Park Councilmember.
Here are 7 pointers to think about as you plan your vote.
1) To start, understand the council job is tough for two reasons. It is truly time consuming and there is a very steep learning curve when you are new. Add to that, you are taking on an ongoing complex agenda. If you will, think of it as grabbing onto a slow moving freight train.
I came to the council in 2009 newly retired from the field of commercial lending. But that did not prepare me for coping with the city budget, much less how to critique it. In truth it takes at least a year or two to really find your footing.
My advice: Have patience with a new would-be councilmembers.
2) The task of a councilmember is less about a member’s personal agenda and more about working collegially with the other six folks sitting beside you on the dais. It took me awhile to appreciate a simple fact: no matter how powerfully I felt about an issue or an idea, I had only one vote out of seven. Councilmembers have to engage with each other, not just sound off to attract attention.
My advice: So when a candidate says how they are going to change things, take it with a grain of salt.
3) One of the nice things about our town is city government small enough that as a councilmember you quickly get to know the department heads and some of their top staff. Of course, the city manager and executive staff are expected to follow the City Council’s lead on policies and strategies. In return, you are totally dependent on professional staff to show you the nuts and bolts of running a city and serving residents 365 days a year. A good councilmember, particularly someone new, needs to be a good listener, and unhesitatingly asking questions like how and why.
Incumbents in an election have a natural advantage, but that only helps them if they’ve done a good job. A candidate who has previously served on a city committee, commission or task force is a plus.
My advice: Don’t expect new candidates to have all the answers. At least not right away.
4) An often overlooked piece of a councilmember’s job is getting well acquainted with other municipal officials in Montgomery County, with members of our Annapolis delegation and the role of the Maryland Municipal League, which serves Maryland’s 157 cities and towns. Helping getting legislation passed in Annapolis and coordinating with Montgomery County are essential duties. It can actually be one of the more fascinating aspects of your position. Typically, it involves testifying to committees in Annapolis when the Assembly is in session. The same with the Montgomery County Council. Helping to lobby on proposed laws. In the process you learn the ins and outs of legislation and get to know many smart decision leaders.
My advice: Listen to what candidates may know and say about big picture issues.
5) When I first got on the Council some of my colleagues felt it was their job to rudely admonish staff members at council meetings. It’s wrong and unnecessary. In that respect, I worked many years for Baltimore City and Arlington County as a planner and in small business development. It’s dreadful to be publicly dressed down. There are plenty of other ways to get your message across, such as meeting and discussing issues with the City Manager and any key staff. For what it may be worth, my first principle was to try to make things easier for staff to do their job.
My advice: If a candidate seems prone to overly faulting city staff, think twice choosing who to vote for.
6) When I was on the City Council the opportunity to respond to my constituents’ complaints and needs was the most rewarding part of my job. Folks don’t forget. Not all, but most problems can be easily fixed, like a broken street lamp, a missing street sign, a house fallen into disrepair, a noise complaint between neighbors, or a street that didn’t get plowed. There’s no glory in it, and while it’s true some people are chronic grouches, it is the essence of representation.
My advice: Ask candidates about their views on how they would address problems that bother you.
7) Councilmembers differ on the extent to which they communicate to folks in their wards. Some do this well with a periodic “newsletter,” a Facebook page (or other social media), email blasts, etc. Some like to host mini-meets with neighborhood activists. (I did several of these things.) It can be difficult to connect to renters and those who live in apartment buildings and condos. Councilmembers have to figure it out for themselves.
An unfortunate problem is the complete lack of local print media in our area. Once upon a time there was the Takoma Voice, a monthly rag full of photography, ads, articles and commentary that kept residents well informed. As a printed newspaper it ended in 2012. It’s sorely missed. The City’s Newsletter does a great job, but it’s largely limited to city government business. Thus, it falls to individual councilmembers to inform their constituents as best they see fit.
My advice: Ask candidates whether and how they plan to communicate with you and your neighbors.
Finally, being a Councilmember is often described as a thankless job. Wrong! I got plenty of thank-you’s and respect. Too, it’s a bit of an ego trip. The City Council after all, leads a city; a city that has “shown the way” to many other municipalities in Maryland and America. After a 42-year professional career, becoming a politician proved, unexpectedly, to be one of the most interesting and challenging jobs.