This year’s Fourth of July Parade in Marysville was the longest I can ever remember.
With its usual assortment of marching bands, entries from local organizations and businesses and throngs of youth sports teams, it’s safe to say the procession took just under an hour to watch.
Also factoring heavily into the number of entrants was a thick batch of political candidates. Some walking, some riding and most surrounded by groups of family and friends, candidates for city, county and school board seats were out in full force.
The number of local candidates actively seeking support is pretty staggering, considering the election isn’t until November. In fact, the true number of candidates isn’t even set yet, as the filing deadline for the November election is still a month away.
With four city council seats up for grabs, along with a pair of Marysville School Board seats, there is a potential for a number of contested races. City council already has multiple challengers announced and campaigning.
Candidates are already out going door-to-door in the various city wards, with mailers and door hangers also cropping up.
I bring all of this up simply to beg residents to do their research and, beyond that, to think critically about what the candidates are saying.
If you are reading this column, you are already off to a good start. It is a fact that newspaper readers are engaged citizens. They care about their communities and most of them vote. A March 2022 survey by Susquehanna Polling and Research Inc. found that 96% of newspaper readers contacted said they intended to vote in the next November’s election.
Closer to November we will offer profiles on all the local candidates, but residents will surely be bombarded by additional information before then.
I implore you to think critically about the information being provided by candidates. I’m already seeing some statements that I consider to be vague at best, and misleading at worst.
To prepare for the political messages I think residents should try to climb into the heads of candidates. Consider the top issues residents are facing and then think about what candidates might say to court voters concerned about those topics.
Here is a short list of voter types local candidates will be wooing this election season.
-Voters concerned with lowering taxes.
Any candidate that says they will lower taxes is full of bologna. It can’t be done here. The schools will be asking for more money and surging property valuations have ensured that real-estate taxes are going nowhere but up.
On the city side there is an opportunity to offer a commuter tax credit on the income taxes of residents to travel out of the city for employment, but city officials have been steadfast in their refusal to do this. Individual candidates who have vowed to push such a tax credit have been swatted down by the rest of council. Such a move would take a major overhaul to the makeup of the entire city council.
-Voters concerned about the damaged relationship of the city and schools.
The two entities aren’t on the same page right now, mainly because the schools need to pass a levy and are pointing to city maneuvers in the past as one of the reasons. Council and school board candidates are going to say they want to mend that fence, creating economic incentives that will benefit both parties. But voters need to ask how.
Every economic incentive the city uses is allowed by law and the schools can’t stop it. So, anyone saying they will forge partnerships or make changes to the incentives needs to say exactly what they will propose.
Watch out for political wording that says “take a look at” or “build relationships.” Also, any mention of “better communication” without a concrete plan probably won’t amount to much action. I’ll be watching candidates on both sides of this issue to see if any of them mention specific plans to make long-term sacrifices, the way voters are asked to make long-term sacrifices to their own finances.
-Voters concerned with rapid growth in the area.
This is a tricky voter to attract, because for many of them growth of any kind is too much. They want no new residents and only businesses that don’t impact traffic. In recent years the idea of making growth “pay for itself” has been the buzzword. The truth is, no growth is completely paying for itself. Local developments may drop a little something in the offering plate, but they aren’t buying the new organ.
Developers come here to make money. Period. When what they are asked to pay eats too far into their profit margin, they abandon ship. Some developers are asked to help pay for road or utility improvements, but that doesn’t offset the overall impact on roads, safety services, utilities and schools.
“Controlled growth” is another idea that gets tossed about, but again, voters should ask candidates exactly what that means.
-Voters who are sick of roadway congestion.
More residents = more cars and Fifth Street isn’t changing. No city that grew ever saw its traffic situation improve. You can’t go backward. All candidates can do now is try to manage the problem as it grows. New connector roads can pull some traffic away from the main traffic arteries and more efficient intersections can help mitigate the chokepoints.
Basically, what I’m saying is watch out for any candidate claiming to be Superman. No individual is going to swoop in and fix any of these problems. They are one vote in a larger body.
I think voters might be better off judging candidates on their character and overall vision. A high-character person can build the relationships needed to walk the path toward real change.
When candidates come to your door, or host a community meeting, ask them your questions and digest their answers.
I don’t want a candidate to tell me what I want to hear. Tell me something I’ve never heard. Tell me how my sacrifices today will lead to better opportunities tomorrow, like better parks for families, schools for children and community events for everyone.
Try to figure out which candidates can hold the reins and which will just try to stay on the horse as it runs.
-Chad Williamson is the managing editor at the Journal-Tribune.