·         The at-large system requires candidates to raise big money – over $220,000 according to Board of Elections records.

·         The huge money needed to win election keeps out challengers, new voices and many community leaders.

·         The huge money creates the appearance, if not the reality, that donors have more access and influence on the Town Council.

Council Districts Takes the Big Money Out of Town Politics

·         Council Districts reduces the role of big money and puts a premium on community connections and leadership. It makes it possible to win elections with shoe leather (door-to-door campaigns) and handshakes (community meetings).

·         Council Districts make it possible for community leaders and new voices to run for office and win. It gives rise to Citizen Legislators.

Winning a Seat on the Town Council Takes a Lot of Money

Running for the Town Council in an at-large system in a Town as large as Huntington is very expensive.  While all candidates will speak to local community groups and knock on some doors, Huntington is too big to win a race on handshakes and shoe leather. The incumbents raise, on average, over $220,000 to run for office, much of that money coming from donors giving $500, $1,000 or $2,000 or more. Under the current system, it is legal and necessary to raise large sums of money and we are not alleging that our Town Council members have done anything wrong. We do think we have a system that favors big money and our communities and residents lose out.

Here’s How the Big Money in Politics Hurts the Town

The big money in campaigns keeps out challengers, new voices and community leaders. They may be leaders we want. They may have ideas we want to hear and support, but to run for office in a Town as large as Huntington in an at-large system requires large funds which makes it hard for new voices to be heard.

Just as we worry that big money creates problems in Washington and try to stop big donors from hijacking our government, we need to worry here in Huntington. Having to raise over $220,000 creates the appearance of that donors have more access and influence. If donors gain access, that comes at the expense of communities and residents unable to make large contributions.  The at-large system creates this problem.

Creating Council Districts Reduces the Influence of Money

Running in one part of Town greatly reduces the importance of money and makes handshakes and shoe leather more important. It becomes possible to knock on a higher percentage of doors, so door-to-door campaigning becomes more vital. Elections will be won based on how well a candidate is seen and known in a district, how much he or she does for her district.  The cost of campaigns (e.g., postage, telephones, advertisement and printing) drops dramatically.   With Town Council Districts, local community ties and the ability to speak to local voters becomes more important than money raised. This change makes it possible for challengers, community leaders and new voices to win election.

Experience Shows that Council Districts Takes Money Out of District Races

Consider the experience in Brookhaven after that town switched to local districts. In one district, a local community leader – active in her PTA and civic association – ran for office. She raised just over $30,000. Her opponent, who lacked similar community ties, raised $150,000 for his campaign. The community activist won because her community ties and willingness to knock on doors and shake hands at local meetings mattered more than the money raised to oppose her.

So How Much Money Does it Cost to Win a Town Council Seat?

We have said over $220,000. Here’s where we got that number. All candidates must report their contributions to the New York State Board of Elections, which posts that data online (www.elections.state.ny.us/DisclosureReports.html). The online data for Town Council campaign goes back to 2006, not quite a full election cycle. Because Town Council members run once every four years, to know how much a candidates raises for each election, we would need a full four years of data. That said, in less than a full election cycle, the current incumbents have raised an average of $228,000 over the past three years, a number that will only grow larger as we finish the fourth year and two members run for re-election.

By comparison, the two losing candidates raised an average of $32,053 for their races in 2007.

Money is not the only factor in an election, but it is so important in a townwide race that it can swamp all the other factors. Council Districts change that equation.