I want to spend a little time this month on the upcoming election and why you need to get involved!
We will have 4 city council seats open. Two from one ward and one from each of the others.
It's time for you to step forward and do your civic duty! All the people I work with in the city and the city council try very hard to do the right thing and keep the city rolling. Giving a couple of years part time service on the city council is not too much to ask of you in return.
It is sad that I need to appoint people to the council because no one ran for the seat. It is also unfair to the ward because they have no say in my decision, so representation by the people just flew out the window!
Ask yourself a simple question- What have I done to make Garretson a better place? I ran for city council at 68 years of age and ran for mayor at 69, so you retired folks should think about it too. Your life experiences and knowledge could greatly benefit the city. At the same time, after the last election I named much younger folks to fill the vacant seats. They have brought new ideas and perspectives to the council. We need both perspectives to continue to move ahead.
The city council person's job is not hard, it requires attending 12-14 meetings a year, and doing a little homework on the side, as well as serving on a committee. You even get paid for attending the meetings.
The process is simple. First you must be 18 yrs old and live in the ward that you are running for and have been a resident of Garretson for 1 year.
1. Pick up a petition at City Hall starting January 31st. The ladies will help you fill it out.
2. Get signatures of 25 registered voters in your ward. I would get 28-30 in case some are disqualified.
3. Turn in your completed petition by Feb 28th by noon to City Hall
4. Once your signatures are validated you will be on the ballot for the April 8th city election. You will have over a month to talk to folks in your ward and ask them to vote for you. You don't really have to ask, just talk about what they think needs to be done and what you want to do.
5. If no one runs against you, you will get the seat. Even though I would like to see a little competition for seats, I would be happy if people come forward and run.
I would love to see a bunch of folks run for council. Get out there and do something for this great town!! It’s a very rewarding experience, a good education in how things work, as well being fun.
If you have any questions, please feel free to stop by city hall or give me a call.
Bruce Brown, Mayor
Garretson, SD 57030
605-351-1038
