This week in My Friday Column I discuss the upcoming Primary election in the City of New Albany
The city of New Albany has a long history of not reelecting its mayors. Over the past four decades our citizens have only returned two people after their first term in office. In this century, no one has been mayor for more than four years in a row. This year, Doug England, one of only two people to be reelected in my lifetime, has decided not to run for reelection, instead running for a seat on the New Albany City Council. So as of January 1st, 2012 we will have someone new running our city.
In recent years the citizens of New Albany have also continued to send people back to the city council that are incompetent and totally ineffective. This year some of the least effective members on the council are facing some challenges from worthy opponents that deserve a chance to show us what they can do. With the combination of two of the councilmen not seeking reelection and the challenges to the current group, the next city council could have a drastically different look in 2012.
Since I started writing this column, my disappointment with a couple of the current councilmen has been well documented. First and third district councilmen, Dan Coffey and Steve Price have stood in the way of progress for this city and have been on the city council for far too long. Some of the highlights of their tradition of obstruction of progress in our city include voting for things like disbanding the Historic Preservation Society and against things like paving our streets. Not to mention the most egregious of all of their transgressions, their ultimately unsuccessful attempts to torpedo Scribner Place and the YMCA project.
The YMCA is one of the best things that has happened to New Albany in a very long time. It has been a catalyst for growth in the Downtown and a shining example of what can be done through cooperation and determination. Besides being hugely successful it has also caused investors to take a look at our downtown. Before the development very few people were interested in living, dining or shopping in our downtown. The YMCA has done everything that it was suppose to and more, but if some council members had gotten their way while it was being discussed, it never would have happened.
Coffey and Price were integral part of a team of obstructionist who fought vigorously against the project and delayed it for a couple of years, the other members were retired four years ago, now it is time to finish the job. Coffey is facing an opponent he narrowly defeated four years ago and Price is going head to head against just one opponent for the first time.
In the past when I have written my opinions about these councilmen a reader invariably writes a letter to the editor saying that if I think that I could do better, I should run against them. The only problem with this plan is that you have to live within the boundaries of each of their respective districts in order to run against them. I currently reside within the 5th district in New Albany and I will be voting to replace my council person also.
There have been several public forums in which to interact with the council candidates. You can also watch them give personal speeches on WNAS on Insight Cable. The IUS Horizon and IUS College Democrats will hold a candidate forum tonight April 22, from 7 to 8:30 at IUS in University Center North room 127. All of the candidates are invited and the public is welcome to come and interact and ask questions in an open discussion.
The city council that we elect this year will lead us through our Bicentennial in 2013. We must choose the leaders that we think will lead us through our 200th year and beyond. We cannot continue to elect people who are not willing to make the best decisions for our city. We are on the verge of making great things happen in our community. It is up to us to elect the best people that are willing to help to make this small city great.
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