This is not an official blog of the City. It is the work of Mark Kapel who is solely responsible for content.

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Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Our City's Election  long Night Journey into day is Finally over And thanks to the to the efforts of many the City will host an uncontested Election on Tuesday November 7th. Uncontested means  unchallenged as occurs when there are
 more commission seats available than there are commissioner seeking them. In such cases  With the Election being a forgone conclusion why bother having one?


That is old school thinking  the Residents  deserve better.This 
is the only chance the Residents have to comment who will be their leaders between now and and  and election day in1919 .

Having a contested election in 2017 is way of getting the ball rolling to that day in the 1919.
An uncontested election means no media coverage. Why should the Newspapers care about an election where the election is over before  it began ?

If you want a blow by blow    how we went from nine candidates in 1915 to 4 in 1917 you just had it. Commissioner Dull decided to  not to seek re-election  in order to do  vegetation piece work for a

 for a neighbor.  that left four remaining commissioners all incumbents but two more  candidates  were needed to get the magic number of 6  candidates needed for a contested election.

We are told the remaining commissioners keeping the the residents in mind
went on a shopping trip to the Planning Commission  to get candidates. they had four and needed to arrive at  to magic number of six  candidates for  for five seats  the 
 numbers necessary needed for an uncontested election and  reminiscent of a late 1960's popular date movie featuring Henry Fonda as a widower  with three kids and Lucile Ball as a widow with three kids. None of the teenage kids seems pleased with the upcoming  marriage.   But the youngest keeps  reminding  all that at the neighborhood Chinese restaurant   with six you get egg 
roll.
regardless one more was candidate was gleened   from the planning  commision  gained which was better than none was and  half way home,better and  than none. 


Unless you have tried it you may not realize how hard it is to get candidates  on the quick. Especially  when there are other considerations such as 
 family. Career,  Money (yes elections cost money)  mostly yours and the a general state of exhaustion when the the trumpets cease.
The Election previous on November 3rd 1915  the City had nine candidates some  which of despite being urged on by the well meaning  (we hope) may not have have been fully  apprised of what they getting involved in.
 Participating in City Government of Bloomfield Hills starts with attending meetings and getting noticed  believe me.show up at a City Commission. meeting and  you will you and stand out like a flickering neon sign in power failure.
Don't be shy. Everyone will wonder who you are but that will pass. Come enough and you might be asked for your opinion. Some day you might even be considered for a board or a commission. All six of the of the current candidates started that way. Did I say Six  I guess I did ? and I should know having written this article. With we six we get more  than egg roll.  Our candidates and citizens get extended  press coverage  follows and a  League of Woman Voters hosted  Candidate Forum. That may be televised. Hip HipHurray 
Like the wise man  once said  Serendipity is where you find it.




                   






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