By George Chandler
Our civic election is heating up and you’re planning to vote, right? What will you consider before you make your marks on the election ballot on Oct. 20?
SPAN Nelson — Social Planning Action Network, active in Nelson since 2006, will soon rename itself Nelson at its Best, taking over the name from its End Poverty Initiative. This new name was chosen because it points to common ground and better reflects our focus on community building that takes into account the well-being of everyone — and includes the participation of as many people as possible.
Quite aside from the organizational rebrand, I have been thinking a lot about the power and meaning of the phrase “Nelson at its best” in relation to our upcoming municipal elections.
It is no small thing to put your name forward for public office, and all candidates deserve congratulations for offering themselves up to the electorate as civic leaders. I hope that, regardless of their differing ideologies, perspectives, or campaign platforms, all the candidates want Nelson to be the best community it can be.
Most people who have served in elected office will tell you that the reality is quite different than seen from the outside. The humourist Will Rogers commented “Liberty doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in speeches” — and the same can truly be said for elected leadership.
Elected public servants inherit the responsibility to be a representative of all citizens, not just the ones who voted for them. They are called upon to work with others at a profound and often challenging level in the effort to do collectively what is best for the whole community. They are obliged to focus on public interest, even when it diverges from their campaign promises.
The building of a healthy, vibrant community happens at the meeting place of all aspects of our life together — economic, cultural, environmental and social. It needs all of us to be involved in making positive change. Nelson at its best is a collective responsibility.
In this civic election process, we are called upon to learn about, responsibly vet, and then choose people who will lead our community into the future. Our role as citizens is to be open-minded as we explore the job applications of the candidates. We also have the responsibility to be discerning. We have the right and the duty to delve deeply into the aspirations of our would-be municipal leaders.
The Latin root of candidatus is “one aspiring to office.” The word also means “to make white or bright” or “to shine,” as office-seekers in ancient Rome wore white togas.
It is critical to see beyond just these white togas of political candidacy. More than just aspiring to office, candidates need to articulate their aspirations for all of Nelson, and for the kind of leader and public servant they pledge to be. What is the brightness, the shine they can bring to council? What are they for, not just against? What is their vision for Nelson, not just their fears or concerns? Will they be able to work respectfully with those holding different views?
To ask this of them, we need first to ask ourselves about the kind of Nelson we aspire to. Then we can better identify the fit for us as voters, as we decide who best can help shepherd our community through the many discussions and decisions that help Nelson grow and evolve.
As we prepare to participate in democracy this fall, here is another Will Rogers gem to consider: “We need to be open-minded [and hopeful] … but not so much that our brains fall out.”
We also need to explore solutions that enable us to move forward together as a community — but not in a way that closes down our compassion.
So please read the candidates’ words about their ideas and vision. Come to all-candidates meetings in the lead-up to Oct. 20. Listen carefully, ask questions, debate answers, weigh them against the kind of community you want Nelson to be, then make your informed choices.
You’re planning to vote, right?!
George Chandler is the board chair for Nelson at its Best, which is presenting a ‘Candi-dating’ and Election Forum on Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. at the Nelson Public Library.
