Get involved in your city

On Tuesday, September 30, Takoma Park residents will gather to kick off the city's biennial election season with a nominating caucus. Unlike in national politics, Takoma Park gives its residents just over a month to decide whom to elect as mayor and city council. The election will be on Tuesday, November 4. All residents–citizens and non-citizens alike–may run for office and vote.

The election presents a valuable opportunity to stimulate a town discussion about what kind of city we want to live in. What skills and ethos are we looking for in our mayor and city council?

Over the past few elections, we have seen fewer candidates than we used to. One reason may be the paltry salaries of our elected officials. We've also seen a drop in voter turnout. We don't whether or not to chalk both up to contentment or apathy. But one of the unique aspects of Takoma Park is the degree to which its residents can decide what kind of a city they want.

Here are some of the issues that we believe should be discussed this election season:

• City management. Unlike most larger cities, our government relies strongly upon the management of a non-elected official. The city council theoretically sets the city's course and then delegates to the city manager the responsibility for interpreting and effecting their vision. Our city manager, Rick Finn, does not face re-election, but his bosses do. Do you feel that the city is doing a good job of delivering services? Do you feel that the mayor and council are directing the city, or have they given too much of their responsibility to Mr. Finn?

• Taxes. Living in this city means higher taxes. While our tax rate has been stable over the past few years, city property owners now pay more due to the rise in assessments. Do city services match that increase? We are not saying that we believe that taxes should be cut, necessarily. But we do think that we should make sure that the extra money we in Takoma Park spend on our library, police, public works, recreation, and housing departments is giving us extra services that we cannot get from the county or state. We should be talking about what we want for our money, and asking candidates to articulate their vision for each city department.

• Outreach. One area in which the city seems to continue to fall short is informing the community of its services. The city government organizes many great programs, including (among dozens) cable television, concert series, babysitting training, and landlord / tenant mediation. Yet too many city activities are poorly attended. We'd like to see more effort put into involving the community. Candidates for mayor and council should tell us how they will do this.

• The Community Center. Anyone who has passed by the intersection of Maple and Philadelphia Avenues is well aware that the city has dug into the construction of the new community center. However, the plans for the center have been scaled back considerably. One of the driving forces for the center was the construction of a gym because of overcrowded county facilities. The city now has no money for that feature. We feel that the gym was the primary reason for building the center, and we'd like candidates to explain their plans for getting it back into the project.

• Economic segregation. We've always known that Takoma Park was a cool place, but even we have been surprised at the quintupling in the prices of bungalows. On the other hand, this city has remained committed to the idea of rent control. These two factors have increased the economic disparity here. Home-owners have tended to be more involved in city politics. We would like our next city council to make sure that all residents are included in decision-making and that the city promotes healthy interaction among the various Takoma Parkians.

• Development and traffic. The most visible issue in Takoma Park is the expansion of Washington Adventist Hospital. If the hospital goes ahead with its plans, city traffic will increase significantly. How would candidates mitigate this increase?

• Support for local businesses. These are hard times for any businesses, but they are especially hard for the Mom and Pop shops that characterize Takoma Park. They won't necessarily be here forever. The city has taken steps in recent months to help keep small business a part of Takoma Park's character. We'd like to see candidates commit to making Takoma Park a haven for local entrepreneurs.

Come to the nominating caucus. Tuesday, September 30, 7:30 PM, City Council Chambers, 7500 Maple Avenue. Please encourage your sensible neighbors to run for office. For more information about how to run, contact the city clerk at 301-891-7206