Dawn’s Delights

As we get fully into the political races for the upcoming elections, I have to say my advice to voters is to either watch online or attend City Council meetings. This will help to see the candidates for Mayor in action. Mayor Norma Strabala and Councilman Teddy Holt are two of the three candidates running. Rick Koenig is the final candidate, but since he currently isn’t on City Council, you will have to watch him at the candidate forum on Thursday, October 15 at 6 p.m. The event will be broadcast live from the Grand Prairie Center on EAB’s youtube channel, on the Era-Enterprise’s Facebook page and on the radio at 97.3. 

The best thing a voter can do is become informed on the issues and about each candidate. Don’t just listen to them, but watch them. With so much information out there, both correct and incorrect, you owe it to yourself to do your due diligence. Of course someone trying to win an election is going to say what you want to hear. The key is can they actually do the things they say they will? You can find many answers by simply watching the city council broadcasts each week. Those meetings will often allow voters to see the council in action and in interaction with the other members and the Mayor. Does the candidate have a grasp of the issues they are discussing? Are they asking questions they have received the answers to already? Do they seem to know what the issues are? 

Another great resource for voters is the Voter Guide published by the Extension office and on the Era-Enterprise website: dewitt-ee.com.

Make sure you are casting your vote for the person who will do the best job for the city. Don’t vote for someone because you like them, what race they are, if they are male or female, none of those really matter when it comes to serving in office. What does matter is their grasp of real issues and how to solve them with real ideas and solutions. Ask the candidate for specific answers, not just vague ones. Government is ruled by laws and regulations and must follow certain rules in their meetings and outside of their meetings. 

Get out and vote. Do it responsibly. Do it for Stuttgart.

Until next time…