Comments on: LETTER: Heed Alexandria ‘Election Fiasco’ Warning http://fallschurchtimes.com/15092/letter-heed-alexandria-election-fiasco-warning/ Falls Church City's Online Community Newspaper Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Linda Neighborgall, Falls Church City http://fallschurchtimes.com/15092/letter-heed-alexandria-election-fiasco-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-6890 Linda Neighborgall, Falls Church City Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:38:45 +0000 http://fallschurchtimes.com/?p=15092#comment-6890 Gordon, thanks for your comment. My point was precisely that the Alexandria experience and concerns, while necessarily different in scope and scale, present a cautionary tale. That is, we should proceed with caution -- to fully and publically explore, among many other unanswered questions, whether or not the FC election machinery can handle a combined election, without further cost, or with manageable cost, and with what effect on waiting time for voters. I have not seen any effort by the Mayor, Council, Registrar, City Manager, or others in a position to do so, to provide this information. (That is just as well as, given the way the Gardner bloc has handled this issue thus far, the pros and cons of an election date change should be performed by a neutral, unbiased entity like the League of Women Voters, as Mr. Webb proposed.) Such data would be an additional piece of pertinent information for the voters to consider as they analyze the pros and cons of a change in election dates. The Council's refusal to authorize further study, encourage public debate, and put the election change issue to the voters in the form of a referendum is a failure of democratic governance. In any case, the Council ought to recognize that it has bigger fish to fry, now that our city's budgetary deficit has passed the $9 million mark as a result of the court's latest decision in the "water wars" and Fairfax County's claim for damages looms menacingly ahead. For all these reasons, the matter of the election date change should be tabled for now, until it is clear whether the City of Falls Church can survive our precarious fiscal condition, and until a public process can determine the need for an election date change. Gordon, thanks for your comment. My point was precisely that the Alexandria experience and concerns, while necessarily different in scope and scale, present a cautionary tale. That is, we should proceed with caution — to fully and publically explore, among many other unanswered questions, whether or not the FC election machinery can handle a combined election, without further cost, or with manageable cost, and with what effect on waiting time for voters. I have not seen any effort by the Mayor, Council, Registrar, City Manager, or others in a position to do so, to provide this information. (That is just as well as, given the way the Gardner bloc has handled this issue thus far, the pros and cons of an election date change should be performed by a neutral, unbiased entity like the League of Women Voters, as Mr. Webb proposed.) Such data would be an additional piece of pertinent information for the voters to consider as they analyze the pros and cons of a change in election dates. The Council’s refusal to authorize further study, encourage public debate, and put the election change issue to the voters in the form of a referendum is a failure of democratic governance.

In any case, the Council ought to recognize that it has bigger fish to fry, now that our city’s budgetary deficit has passed the $9 million mark as a result of the court’s latest decision in the “water wars” and Fairfax County’s claim for damages looms menacingly ahead.

For all these reasons, the matter of the election date change should be tabled for now, until it is clear whether the City of Falls Church can survive our precarious fiscal condition, and until a public process can determine the need for an election date change.

]]> By: Gordon Theisz, City of Falls Church http://fallschurchtimes.com/15092/letter-heed-alexandria-election-fiasco-warning/comment-page-1/#comment-6887 Gordon Theisz, City of Falls Church Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:22:04 +0000 http://fallschurchtimes.com/?p=15092#comment-6887 Linda, I agree with you that this move needs study and I urge the Council to not vote a date change until this is done. I also support a referendum of the voters - let the voters choose when they wish to vote. I would support such a referendum to be done in November so that those who have chosen not to vote in May would have their voice. I personally favor keeping elections in May so that we can focus on local issues only. I strongly disagree with those who suggest that May elections are disenfranchising voters - everyone has the right to vote, whenever it occurs. Lastly, I am tired of hearing officials needing to have their ego validated by a larger turnout - Jim Scott certainly didn't feel less empowered as a legislator by his one vote victory many years ago. As far as the cautionary tale from Alexandria, I would disagree with its applicability to Falls Church. Already capable of handling a 60+% turnout in any given election, I can't see how there would be long lines at our polls with local elections paired with the general election. I really doubt there are people in FC who vote on local issues but do not turn out in November for the general election. Linda, I agree with you that this move needs study and I urge the Council to not vote a date change until this is done. I also support a referendum of the voters – let the voters choose when they wish to vote. I would support such a referendum to be done in November so that those who have chosen not to vote in May would have their voice. I personally favor keeping elections in May so that we can focus on local issues only. I strongly disagree with those who suggest that May elections are disenfranchising voters – everyone has the right to vote, whenever it occurs. Lastly, I am tired of hearing officials needing to have their ego validated by a larger turnout – Jim Scott certainly didn’t feel less empowered as a legislator by his one vote victory many years ago.

As far as the cautionary tale from Alexandria, I would disagree with its applicability to Falls Church. Already capable of handling a 60+% turnout in any given election, I can’t see how there would be long lines at our polls with local elections paired with the general election. I really doubt there are people in FC who vote on local issues but do not turn out in November for the general election.

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