Even though we won
’t be casting ballots for more than seven months, election
season is in full swing in Morgan Hill – perhaps the earliest start
ever for a local election.
Even though we won’t be casting ballots for more than seven months, election season is in full swing in Morgan Hill – perhaps the earliest start ever for a local election. 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.
City Councilman Greg Sellers has announced that he’ll challenge fellow Democrat 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.”
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. Before that the position rotated among council members.
Kennedy has run for re-election to the two-year post three more times – the first term was only until November 1998. Voters chose a two-year term over a four-year term at the same time they chose the first elected mayor.
Debate on the issues that face our community, which a contested race fosters, is a good thing for Morgan Hill.
We just wish that there was more differentiation between Kennedy and Sellers on substantive issues.
When it comes to the major challenges that have faced Morgan Hill in the last several years – traffic, growth control, schools, 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 Council-members seem to agree, has done a good job as Morgan Hill’s mayor. Yet, in a classic political fence-straddling maneuver, some are also glad to see Sellers run to replace Kennedy. 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 two candidates who are largely indistinguishable from one another.
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 and more sports fields, to name just three – and we urge them to join 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.
It’s important the residents be eligible to cast their ballots in November. Here’s how: Registration can be handled on line at www.sccvote.gov or by calling the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters at 299-8683.
