Whitewater had a Council vacancy to fill, and for that vacancy she received four initial applicants to an at-large seat. (For a prior post about those applicants, please see It’s Not Who, But What.) There are only two such seats, representing all the residents of the city.
At last night’s session, three applicants were able to attend, and of those three, Council chose Andrew Crone over Cort Hartmann in a 3-2 vote. (Five members voted; Council. Pres. Patrick Singer abstained as he will seek this seat in the spring.)
Each applicant submitted a written application, and spoke before the Council and city in support of his or her consideration. I thought this was a good process: speaking gave others the opportunity to learn more about the applicants.
It was reasonable that each of the applicants would speak before Council (and really, thereby, speak to the many city residents they sought to serve). This seems a basic expectation, not requiring any prior announcement. No one has today reminded me of the law of gravity, but I’m still aware that if I drop a pen from my hands, it will fall to the floor.
The questions were good, and the applicants’ answers sound and informative.
A quick, public thanks is due to all those who’ve written and asked if I might run for Council. I’ve answered those messages individually, and I’ll thank you again for your kind inquiries. It’s worth stating my views about this.
Who does the work of the city?
It’s each and every resident, in his or her own way, who does the good and valuable work of our community. People have different and particular roles, each (one hopes) suited to their preferences and talents. This is mine.
I don’t think it’s necessary to assume many roles. Each person may do a particular thing, leading to a general benefit. I do not hold this this view because it sounds sweet; I hold it because I believe it to be true.
Best wishes to Council’s newest representative, Mr. Crone, and to all the Council in year ahead.