My name is _______________. I am writing to ask you to vote YES for Council Districts on Tuesday, December 22, 2009. In our current system we have four at-large Council Members who represent the whole Town, but no one represents your community at Town Hall. With Council Districts, we create four districts in Town and elect one representative from each district. For the first time, every community will have representation at Town Hall. This is what we do at every other level of government; it is the American way. Council Districts will mean better representation, more accountability and no new costs. It just makes sense.
I am better off voting for one person who represents me and my part of Town than voting for four people who may not live near me, and do not represent me or my part of Town and are not accountable to me.
I’m not alone in supporting Council Districts. Newsday endorses Council Districts saying, “Huntington is a modern, cosmopolitan town in many ways. It's time its form of government reflected that.” County Executive Steve Levy, Assemblyman Jim Conte, County Legislator Jon Cooper and Highway Superintendent William Naughton do too. And thousands of your fellow residents signed petition in support of Council Districts. You can read more endorsements here.
Council Districts work for large Towns. Hempstead, North Hempstead and Brookhaven have all made the switch and we have the endorsements of elected officials and community leaders of all political affiliations in those Towns who support Council Districts. Brookhaven Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld said, “Council Districts have made dramatic improvements in Brookhaven.” You can read more here.
Here’s why I support Council Districts for Huntington:
Better representation: Currently our 4 Town Council members represent the whole town, but no one represents your community. With Council Districts, you will have a Town Council member from your community representing your community, someone who will know the issues and concerns of your community. Every community will have input and no one community can dominate the Town.
More accountability: With Council Districts, you will have a council member who answers to you. That person’s job will depend on how well he or she represents your community.
Takes the big money out of town politics: Town Council members raise over $220,000 in each election cycle to reach the more than 200,000 residents of Huntington. With Town Council Districts, community ties matter more than money. With Town Council Districts, candidates will win based on what they do for your community.
More openness: This year, 100 percent of the Town Council’s 598 votes have been unanimous. With Council Districts, we will have new voices running for office and more public input, more debate, and decisions that reflect all our communities.
No New Costs: No new layers, no new staff and no new costs. Four towns on Long Island have made the switch and none have raised costs because of Council Districts. Hempstead Councilwoman Dorothy Goosby said, “Costs have not risen because of Council Districts. If anything, Council Districts have held down costs because we need to report back to our districts on spending.”
Huntington Has Outgrown the At-Large System: When the State established the Town government structure in the 1920’s, Huntington had fewer than 30,000 residents. Today, Huntington has over 200,000 residents, more than Salt Lake City, Des Moines and Little Rock. Of eh seven Towns in New York with a population over 150,000, three have Council Districts and three have groups advocating Counicl Districts.
This all sounds so good, who opposes Council Districts? The current Town Board members and political insiders oppose council districts. It is a case of those with power do not want to share it with the Town.
Why a vote on December 22? Because the Town Board denied our request to put it on the ballot on Election Day. Read more. For a polling info or an absentee ballot, click here.
To learn more about the issues, volunteer to support Council Districts and request an absentee ballot click here: www.concernedcitizensofhuntington.com or http://huntingtoncouncildistricts.wordpress.com.
Get involved! Contact us at info@concernedcitizensofhuntington.com.
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