Thanks for a Great Public Forum!

As a resident seeking to be informed about the candidates in the up-coming regular city election, I am most thankful to all those involved in putting on the very successful candidates’ forum held last night at City Hall. I appreciate the participation of all the candidates. The questions were excellent, and gave candidates the opportunity to state their positions on many important issues of interest to residents and gave the large number of residents in attendance and in the radio audience the chance to better educate themselves.

I was especially interested in two issues of public concern:

1. Thank you to all the candidates who spoke in favor of restoring an informed Finance Committee, meeting at least quarterly and having year-round oversight responsibility in monitoring the spending of taxpayer money.

This overwhelming position expressed by all candidates in favor of a check-and-balance in relation to city officials spending our money will need to take the form of Mayor and Council adoption of a new resolution defining the duties of the Finance Committee. I look forward to such a new resolution.

2. Concerning Council meetings, I appreciate (a) the statement by both mayoral candidates that they will restore the “Call to the Public” to its proper place toward the very beginning of meetings, (b) the commitment to continuing meetings at 6 p.m. so they can much more conveniently be attended by residents who are interested in seeing their elected representatives at work in the public interest, and (c) the position that study sessions, when held, will be held at an evening time also convenient to the public.

Democracy is based on public access to their elected representatives, and transparency and openness to the public in the actions of our representatives. The willingness of candidates to stand up for these democratic principles is very gratifying.

Thank you for informing me.

Sincerely,

Michael F. Nava, Douglas Resident