DEADLOCKED COUNCIL — VOTERS REJECTED AS THE ANSWER
The January 31 special Council meeting to address the open seat ended, to no one’s surprise, in a deadlock. There was no agreement on applicants between the developer funded Healy-Albertson-Harris coalition and the remainder of the council. Three attempts were made to reach a decision on the open seat before it was agreed to table the matter for another meeting.
At the January 3rd meeting HAH rejected the will of the voters by opposing the simple and democratic solution of appointing Jason Davies to the seat. Davies was the “next highest vote getter” in the November Council election, 1.3%, 700 votes behind Albertson. At the special meeting HAH moved to block voters from having any future say in filling the vacancy. They opposed any opportunity to take the question back to voters in a special election.
SOMEBODY WHO DOSEN’T PARTICULARLY WANT IT
Michael Healy wrote in a letter to the Editor of the Argus that the person who might be the “right fit” for council is someone who doesn’t particularly want it. Then he encouraged people to apply – a direct expression of someone wanting it. What he appeared to be saying is that Mr. Davies wants the seat too much and the voters want Mr. Davies too much. And, what we need is someone who isn’t willing to be vetted in an election, but wants the Council seat just enough to fill out an application.
Mr. Healy has the “hunch” (apparently much more important than votes cast in November) that there is a person out there “not aligned with either perceived faction on the council” who is the “right fit.” The suggestion is that Mr. Healy and the developer funded HAH faction ( a reality, not just perception) will present us with that person.
Given his publically stated opinion, one is then forced to ask why Mr. Healy “expressed interest” (the equivalent of a vote but one that does not count) in Ray Johnson three times at the January 31st Council meeting. Perhaps running a campaign that resulted in Mr. Johnson coming in 6th demonstrates that did not “particularly” want the seat. Now, all Mr. Healy needs to explain is Johnson’s independence from developer interests and the politics of HAH.