Approximately 150 City residents sign nominating petitions to place Michael Coakley, Pat Hardy, Mark Kapel, and Stuart Sherr on November 5th City Election Ballot.

Those residents should take a bow and be commended for participating in  the Democratic Process and for saving the City oodles of money in the process.

Consider if only three  candidates were able to secure the necessary number of signatures (which is not a large number  but the process can be time consuming and frustrating). Then the race would be uncontested. The City would have probably been required to hold it anyway, especially after the successful write in campaign in Detroit and  our city's proposed charter changes

We have been told that five residents did request petitions but only four submitted them by yesterday's deadline.There were also some inquiries that did not  result in a request for petitions.

Many of the residents who signed petitions were family and friends but when those ran out dog walkers, and people who answered a ringing doorbell  rose to the occasion.

Now the four candidates Coakley, Hardy, Kapel and Sherr  will tell you who they are and seek your opinion and vote on November 5th. The four are running for three seats on City Commission, the only elected office in the city.

Give the candidates time. One minute to five works in most cases. Do not give them money. Campaign spending by two candidates in the 2012  City Election approached or reached five figures. Almost all of it was the candidates' own money but even so it was overkill. 

The City's last uncontested election was in 2008. We are not going there this year. We will leave it up to the candidates to tell us where it is our City is going.

Praise the Lord and pass  the ammunition.