City Council has Three Seats Up for Re-Election

Ever have the urge to invest your spare time in a bi-weekly evening commitment of listening to and trying to solve all of the problems that come with running a city? How about having the ultimate responsibility of managing a $12 million plus budget, which includes having to tell department heads that they'll just have to do without and cut out money they were counting on to run their departments because times are tough? And, half the folks you see on the street every day will likely be pleased with the decisions you make - the other half will make sure you know about their disapproval. Oh, and you'll have to do this for a term of four years and get paid only $150 per month.

I may not be painting a pretty picture for you but this is what I've watched your City Council experience for nearly two years, ever since my 2008 New Years' Resolution to attend every council meeting I could. My interest started from casual conversations here and there with folks who had rather strong opinions on subjects like the city pool, the pedestrian tunnel, the 2004 downtown renovation and even the flag that now waves at the Veterans' Memorial Park near the library. I thought to myself, "I don't have a clue what the facts are, but I'll bet I can find out at the city council meetings." Now, don't get me wrong. It's no fun hiking over to City Hall when it's cold, dark and raining at 7pm. I've already eaten dinner and have settled in for the night. And those endless pages of budget columns are as dry as stale crackers when you first start learning the operations of each department. But something happened to me while I was trying to stay awake well past 9pm on many Tuesday night meetings. I started to learn the multitude of layers that surround the running of a city and of the heartache often involved in the decisions your Council Members have to make on a regular basis.

Your City Council - not to mention your Clerk Treasurer who records these meetings, your City Attorney who provides legal counsel and your Police Chief, Fire Chief and City Administrator who give updates on what's going on throughout the city - are there every first and third Tuesday of every month.

Do I sound like I think this is a thankless, underpaid, underappreciated position to hold with our city? Maybe so. But what probably isn't coming across is the amount of awe I'm in after every meeting over the knowledge our council has of the intricacies of running our city. Maybe I'm not conveying the level of respect I feel for these men and women for taking on this serious responsibility of making decisions based on the outcome each will hold for us residents of Bonners Ferry. And perhaps I haven't properly given my thanks to this group who tirelessly meet, research and do all of the things I expect my City Council to do for me as a taxpaying resident of this town, but don't want to commit to doing myself.

So if you've ever had a hankering to get involved with repair issues concerning the river dikes, the dredging of the city sewer lagoons (how many of you even knew we had city sewer lagoons?) or the upcoming contract needing approval with our city electric provider, now is your chance to run for a seat on City Council. There are three positions up for re-election: John Langs' and David Gray's are four-year terms and Chris Clark's is a two-year term. Connie Wells' position isn't up for re-election for another year.

The first day to file for election was August 24 at 8am at City Hall. The last day you can file is September 4 at 5pm. You must submit your application with a $40 non-refundable filing fee and a Petition of Candidacy signed by at least five city electors. Please remember to vote on November 3, 2009. It's your right as a tax payer and your duty as citizen of Bonners Ferry.

Carolyn Testa