The local election season in neighboring Morgan Hill
– a full seven months away – is in full summer bloom. Like the
recent weather, it’s perhaps the earliest
”
heat
”
ever.
The local election season in neighboring Morgan Hill – a full seven months away – is in full summer bloom. Like the recent weather, it’s perhaps the earliest “heat” ever.
The school board race has heated nearly to the boiling point with recall petitions and a resignation, now the city’s other political body, City Council, is getting into the act.
Councilman Greg Sellers has announced that he’ll challenge fellow incumbent Mayor Dennis Kennedy for the top spot at City Hall this November.
“This has nothing to do with the mayor’s past performance,” Sellers told reporter Carol Holzgrafe about his decision to seek the mayoral post while still filling a City Council term that doesn’t expire until 2006. “It’s a good Council, and I just want to take it to the next level.”
One must surmise from Sellers’ comments that Kennedy can’t take it to the next level. So much for Sellers’ doublespeak about it having “nothing to do with the mayor’s past performance.”
This is the first contested mayor’s race since Kennedy and the late Bev Freeman fought it out in March 1997, the first time Morgan Hill voters directly elected a mayor. Debate on the issues that face our community, which a contested race fosters, is a good thing for Morgan Hill.
Unfortunately, finding the differentiation between Kennedy and Sellers on substantive issues requires a NASA-grade microscope.
Moreover, when it comes to the major challenges that have faced Morgan Hill in the last several years – traffic, growth control, prioritizing Redevelopment Agency spending on city facilities, library siting, the county courthouse – it’s hard to find a place where Kennedy and Sellers disagree.
Kennedy, all City Councilmembers seem to agree, has done a good job as Morgan Hill’s mayor. Yet, some are also glad to see Sellers’ run. Councilman Steve Tate said it was time for a change and he would back Sellers. Councilman Larry Carr is currently backing both men until they make their positions more clear. Councilwoman Hedy Chang has declined to take a position.
Voters can’t be so politically correct when they’re standing in the voting booth – they have to pick a candidate. We suggest that Sellers’ top job in the coming months will be to clearly and succinctly draw distinctions between his vision for Morgan Hill and Kennedy’s, or voters might be forced to throw darts to pick from the two candidates.
There’s another solution to the candidate clone dilemma – and that’s for other candidates to join the race – not only for mayor, but for City Council seats as well. There are people who disagree with the city’s direction on important issues – the amount of money being spent on an aquatic center, the importance of a library versus a recreation center, to name just two – and we urge them to throw their hats into the political ring.
There’s plenty of time to organize a campaign – the filing period doesn’t open until July 12 and runs through Aug. 6. Voting is a sacred duty for all Americans – but it sure helps if we’ve got clearly differentiated candidates from which we can choose when we head to the polls in November.
