A Local Choice

Larry and I sat in the stands at Community Stadium last week as the candidates for homecoming king and queen were introduced. They all sounded so accomplished – academics, sports, the arts, school leadership –we’ve got wonderful kids in our community. How did their fellow students ever choose who would be king and queen? Character, charisma, accomplishments? Or did popularity, hairstyle, wardrobe or shoes play a role?

A similar question faces Ashland over the next month, as our mayoral race heats up. The signs are out, the debates are scheduled, and election day is only a month away. Who will be our political equivalent of Ashland’s homecoming king or queen? Who will lead our community forward? I’m not endorsing either Matt Miller or Sandra Tunnell on this page, as I’ll leave that for the editor to do if he chooses. But I’d like to raise some questions that will be guiding my decision-making process.

Initially, I thought about chatting with each of the candidates over a burrito bowl at the new Chipotle, but I’ll leave that task to the reporters. Like the homecoming court participants, our candidates are good people. I know them both, and believe they can be effective leaders. They have a long list of accomplishments, and similar platforms. So how to decide?

Here’s one possible question: what can you do for me? That abandoned lot abutting my driveway? The vacant house that hasn’t been live in for six years? What about the nine vehicles, including the three tractor trailers parked alongside the next alley? If I call you, will you do something about my concern? Will you push for stronger neighborhood standards and enforcement, or leave that up to the neighbors?

As mayor, what will you do for those without resources of their own? What about supporting opioid treatment options here in town? Do you talk about details or simply speak in generalities? Does that matter? Will the new mayor be active in the homeless coalition, or pretend that everyone in Ashland has a safe, affordable home? What about the state of our housing stock, the presence of unscrupulous landlords who make good money by requiring rental applications that they know they’ll refuse? What about a housing code? What about our sidewalks?

And what about the economic status of Ashland? How will the new mayor interact with our current businesses, including the hospital and university? What companies might be enticed to Ashland with the promise of available land and a solid workforce? And what about the land the city has negotiated for downtown between Center and Union. Any ideas?

What about the softer issues? How we relate to each other, how we welcome the stranger, how we build our neighborhoods. How can our new mayor help us here? Are there models of neighborhood development, community policing, or trauma-informed care that might work here in our small city?

If you know me very well, you’d expect me to wonder about the question of gender. This is 2017, and our city has never had a female mayor. There’s a 50/50 chance this could change this election cycle. Should gender matter? Are you more or less favorable towards a female or male candidate?

Do we need a mover and shaker, or a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker? The image of Carmen Yulin Cruz, San Juan’s mayor up to her hips in Maria’s flood water, is powerful. But would she have been more effective cutting a deal in the proverbial smoke-filled back room? Should a mayor lead by example, willing to pitch in and do whatever needs to be done, or should a mayor lead by delegation, keeping his or her hands relatively clean? And ultimately, does character matter in local leadership?

If you have questions of your own, fill in some of the blanks for yourself as the Ashland Times-Gazette hosts the next debate between Tunnell and Miller at the high school on October 19 at 7:00 p.m. Here in Ashland, we won’t be inundated by the brain-washing potential of television ads, and political party allegiance won’t play into this election. Instead, we can educate ourselves, think through the issues, and make a wise choice. See you at the polls!