Opinion

By Phil Orlandella

Lack of Candidates Cancel NEWNC Election

Lack of enough candidates (7) caused the North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) to cancel their 2020 election.

This is the third consecutive community election that felt through the cracks for lack of interest by residents to serve on the Council that was formed to represent the neighborhood.

Six, two-year terms are available each year. Even Snow White attracted seven people.

While the need election committee and other members tried hard to have a public election, the lack of interest, made it possible to automatically place all the six candidates on the Council.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to residents not participating but six of thousands of residents found a way to be involved with the community.

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to reevaluate the election system to attract more candidates to consider campaigning for a seat on the neighborhood Council.

The time has come for residents to get involved in the future of the community on a first-hand basis.

NEWNC has been a productive and reliable part of the neighborhood and will continue to be an asset to the community for years to come.