Council Follows Predictable Path
At a time when our city is in dire need of fresh thinking from our elected leaders, the city council has followed the predictable path in their choice of applicants to interview for the seat vacated by Alfred Dowe. Of the twenty-two people who applied for the seat, council apparently only sees fit to grant four of them public interviews. Are the others not deserving of an opportunity to present their case to the public?
It comes as no surprise that the four selected applicants include a former council member, a former school board member, and a former assistant city manager. Mayor Nelson Harris apparently spoke for the council majority when he said he gave preference to applicants “with previous civic involvement.” Wouldn’t it have been more honest to say that they gave preference to people whose views and positions they already knew?
The method of selecting Dowe’s replacement was destined to be a sham the moment Judge Charlie Dorsey ruled that no special election could be held. By narrowing the field to four, and not allowing the others the opportunity to present their case to the public, council has now ensured that it’s newest member will bring us nothing but more of the same.
Postscript:
When this post was originally written, the conflict of interest surrounding Alvin Nash was not known publicly. Considering that the council members were aware of the conflict at the time of his appointment, the process seems even more absurd.