Guest Column: Non-partisan is bad politics

In many cities in our country the city councils or commissioners are elected by what is known as a non-partisan system.  Candidates run without political party affiliation.  Most feel that non-partisan means no politics.  This election system is an attempt to eliminate the political party’s participation.  An accepted election system that has elected the presidents, governors, senators, congresspersons, county commissioners plus others is still working and has always been assisted by political parties since George Washington.  The non-partisan terminology in practice has always been an agreement between the political parties on issues of legislation, not election policy.  

 

Our election process, with political party participation, has a long history of success. Not all political party activity is promoting a specific party candidate for office.  Their responsibility also involves helping to suggest a candidate with experience, promote improvement with issues that concern all constituents no mater what party they support, endorse ideological concepts that voters feel are important, and establish a competitive campaign that encourages voter participation.

 

The political process for the non-partisan election is a “free-for-all” that elects, quite often, candidates with little or no experience, and the inability to act in a timely fashion to make qualified decisions in a local government environment.  Some communities have a large number of candidates running, without a primary or run off that should be used to enhance the quality of the candidates.  This procedure improves the competitive factor required in selection.  A strong competitive campaign is a necessary ingredient in electing qualified individuals.   

 

Local governments have issues that require decisions in a shorter time frame than those of other levels of government.  The new elected official in the non-partisan structure has little or no resources for advice from experienced individuals.  Advice from incumbents in office can continue the policy that the new elected official has been elected to change.

 

New elected officials may have been elected because of a bad administration or financial problems, and have no idea how to resolve these issues.  They may be faced with a special interest group that has taken advantage of a city or community and they have little knowledge how to proceed. The political parties, not always perfect, will have resources at all levels of government to assist. 

 

The individual seeking office with good intentions and expectation of success, will find great difficulty with limited experience and knowledge.  He or she has been supported by those who often want a new direction and feel their candidate will succeed.   So when this does not happen, or there is a failure to make a reasonable change, the local government goes into an unstable status of confusion and frustration.  The candidate, now an elected official, is faced with trying to succeed in an impossible situation.

 

Historically, our democracy has had a partisan election process which has been accepted and used effectively on all levels of government, local, state, and federal.  Why is it necessary to tinker with politics?   Non-partisan is a form of politics also.  You can’t take politics out of politics.  Developing a different political culture is not a solution.  Non-partisan as an election process is bad politics for governing.   

 

A city in Alachua County is now the victim of this poor non-partisan system.  There has been failure to resolve costly mistakes by city staffs that need to be replaced.  The indecision and lack of experience by reasonable and well intended elected officials may very well cause this city additional financial and legal problems that have polarized the community.  It needs strong political direction from those who know how to perform under such circumstances.