Taking the partisanship out of local politics
All politics may be local. But do local politics need to be partisan?
That’s what aldermen in Frederick, Maryland’s second largest city, will discuss tonight when they consider a proposal to switch Frederick municipal elections to non-partisan status– meaning no party affiliation would be listed on the ballot.
Reporting on the development for the Frederick News-Post, reporter Adam Behsudi uncovered some interesting statistics:
Just four of the 157 municipalities in the state hold partisan elections – according to the Maryland Municipal League: Annapolis, Baltimore, Frederick and Hagerstown.
And 21 of the 30 largest cities in the country hold non-partisan elections.
Local politicians will often tell you there’s no Republican or Democratic way to fill a pothole. Responsive local government is about balancing budgets, plowing snow, picking up the trash on time and making sure streets are safe. The issues are nuts-and-bolts, not ideological.
But here’s another view: Those four cities – Annapolis, Baltimore, Frederick and Hagerstown – are vibrant places where politics is woven into the municipal fabric. They’re some of the most interesting places in the state. Perhaps a partisan political vein has something to do with that? (I know, I know – there’s only one party in Baltimore, right?)
Where is the right place to draw the line on partisanship? In places with elected school boards, those elections are almost always non-partisan, and rightfully so.
But there’s no talk, nor should there be, about making county council races in the largest jurisdictions such as Baltimore County, Anne Arundel and Howard non-partisan. After all, county councilmen become county executives, and county executives (and mayors) become governors. Local government is often the training ground for upcoming politicians and public officials.
So, should municipal elections be non-partisan? My vote is no. What’s your opinion?
Comments
I think this is just a clever way to prey on the ignorance of an already ignorant voting population...This is political exploitation at its finest!
I agree that there is no such thing in "ANY" politics called "non-partisonship!" When you tell whether or not you are Democrat or Republican, you give a voter a powerful mechanism to tell whether or not your views differ much from them.
I was a Democrat, that switched to Republican, that switched back to Democrat...Why? Because when you weighed all the issues, the Republican party didn't represent, well, me...I need to support those politicians that best reflect my issues. I do, however, vote blended tickets, because I think that it's important to have a multifaceted viewpoint in politics...checks and balances.
Do I care who fills the pothole, or picks up the trash on my street? No...But from my experience, a certain party doesn't really care that much about the neighborhoods I have lived in!
Posted by: Wallace | April 15, 2009 12:42 PM
Rockville, Gaithersburg, Bowie and other Maryland Cities have populations as big as Frederick and do fine with non-partisan elections.
There has been an interesting debate in King County, Washington (Seattle) whether to make their County Council offices non-partisan. The proposal has been supported by both Democrats and Republicans over the years. Of the 15 most populous U.S. Counties, 60% have non-partisan elections.
http://soundpolitics.com/PVRNP.pdf
Non-partisan elections do not stop local officials from moving on to higher office. U.S. Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) had previously been elected Mayor of Cleveland in a non-partisan election.
Posted by: Alfred Carr | April 15, 2009 3:57 PM
David, speaking of bipartisan, my friend forwarded me an e-mail about the bipartisan effort to put speed cameras on the 2010 ballot. He sent me the link www.mdscamera.com. It looks like some folks will start collecting signatures soon. I am surprised political reporters have not covered this one yet. Democrats and Republicans alike are uniting here.
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Hi John:
We've got an online story up on the petition drive (and it will run in the Friday print edition....And I'll get a blog posting up about it, as well.
Thanks.
-- David
Posted by: John | April 16, 2009 8:12 AM
The important thing to keep in mind here is that it is the right of each incorporated city or town to decide whether or not to have partisan local government elections. The concept of Home Rule in Maryland, enjoyed by all 157 of Maryland municipalities is "local control over local issues". Partisan elections may well be the will of the people and so-be-it. But communities and their leaders have the right to change their minds through Charter amendments if they wish. It's the American Way!!
Posted by: Scott | April 16, 2009 9:12 AM