Many times as editor of the Namao newsletter I have spent a fair amount of time searching for local Namao news. When the time came to start preparing an article on the upcoming election, I did not expect to have any difficulty finding something to write a
I was disappointed to find out that most of us in Sturgeon County will have very little to vote for on election day. If you live in Division 1 one you have absolutely nothing to vote for. Of the six county divisions, only three have more than one choice for councillor. The school trusteeships are no different. Out of seven trustees, four will be returning uncontested.
Anyone who is awarded their position by acclamation will say it is a testament to their hard work, and the public is sending them a positive message for their satisfactory performance. In some cases this may be true. However, when you have this many acclamations I feel this shows our community (myself included) is taking our democracy for granted.
Now we all know that being a politician is challenging. It requires a special person who is passionate about their community, who has skill in dealing with people, and can accomplish goals while persevering through barriers.
What we must remember is that humans by nature excel when excellence is required of them. An electoral race propels candidates to debate and speak about what drives them and what they hope to achieve. Knowing they will be graded on their performance in three years time is an important part of keeping our politicians honest, grounded and hardworking. After all many of us play a little more when the boss is away.
Perhaps next time I will have to start making offers to community members to help with their campaigns if they would run, or donate to a local candidate so that choice is encouraged.
For now, the only action I have available is to call up the politicians I am stuck with and let them know why I did or did not plan to vote for them. I'll share what my expectations and hopes are for my community, and then hope that they absorb some of what I say through the murmurs of concurrence I know I'll hear. I hope some others will do the same.
Layla Pretzlaff, Sturgeon County
