City Council's Role: Governance
It is now official, I am running for Henderson City Council District 1. I have spent nearly all of my adult life either teaching about, working for or reporting on local government. Through the years and all of the different hats I’ve worn, I’ve come to believe that the most important role an elected official such as a city council person has, is that of an advocate for his or her constituents--to represent fairly the interests of the residents of that city or district at the table where decisions are being made. While some people may think there is a lot of power in that position, that’s not the way it was designed nor should it ever be. In fact, most city charters and local government codes restrict the actual power of an elected official to just a couple of governance type roles. Ultimately, the job of a city council person is to ensure that the best people in place to run the city. These should be competent folks who can make tough decisions on a daily basis, who are open and ...
