One of the odd things about local elections is that candidates rely heavily on a two things—their last names and their party affiliation.
That’s unfortunate because at the local level, knowing whether someone is a Democrat or a Republican tells you exactly nothing about how that person will address your community’s problems.
There’s no official Democrat or Republican party position on parking meters and potholes. All of the candidates are against crime and traffic congestion. Nobody wants to raise taxes or destroy Bridgeville’s parks.
Some Bridgeville Democrats might think that government’s primary job is to give you a citation the moment that your lawn grows a half-inch too high, and some Republicans might not disagree. But other Democrats and Republicans would call that government overreach.
“Democrat” and “Republican” are so meaningless at the local level that you would do better to vote based on whether a candidate is a cat person or a dog person, or whether they cut their pizza in squares or triangles.
Local leadership is about people, not parties. It’s about whether a candidate will truly listen to your concerns and then find a way to help. It’s about whether a candidate has the drive and the work ethic to push for better solutions and not just settle for the status quo.
The best local leaders seek new solutions to old problems, they ask tough questions, and they demand better results for taxpayer dollars.
The worst local leaders get elected on a single issue, don’t know which questions to ask, and they become rubber stamp votes whatever legislation is put in front of them because they don’t have any other ideas.
At a time when our national politics are a partisan mess, it’s tempting to vote along party lines to send a message to whoever you like or don’t like in Washington. But the fact is, neither Donald Trump nor Nancy Pelosi cares what happens in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania.
You, however, live in Bridgeville and care about the community.
Go vote on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Vote for whoever you think will listen to your concerns and find real solutions. Vote for whoever you think will make Bridgeville the best it can be.
Just don’t vote for anybody who cuts pizza into squares.