Mayor snubs Current readers

Image: Michael Quirk

Editorial

As we reported on June 24, The Current invited Mayor Love to be interviewed following her announcement that she was seeking re-election. The Current would like its more than 3,000 regular readers to hear what the Mayor has to say about her Council’s record as well as identifying areas where she sees the need for improvement if given the opportunity of a second term.

Our invitation has been met with a deafening silence. This was hardly a surprise since she has ignored every communication The Current has sent her. We note, however, that she agreed to be interviewed by The Valley Gazette which, it should be pointed out, receives substantial revenue from the Township as the carrier of its advertising. The Mayor might wish to consider the optics of limiting journalistic access to her to a publication which may have little inclination to rock the municipal boat.

Despite this snub, The Current would still like to give the Mayor the opportunity of communicating with its readers so they can decide whether she merits their votes in October. We suggest that she does this by participating in a self-evaluation process. We feel sure voters would welcome a report card of this Council’s achievements, or not as the case may be, as it nears the end of its term.

As it so happens, the Township has already provided the ideal template for this. It can be found at the conclusion of The Path Forward, the report that resulted from the community-wide survey published in November 2015. This included an “Action Plan” which identified Strategic Priorities consisting of a total of 30 aims and desired outcomes under the headings of

• Open Government
• Progressive and Growing Economy
• Healthy Lifestyles
• Efficient and Effective Township Services

The report contained the following statement:

It also serves as an accountability mechanism, offering management and the public a tangible system to measure performance and achievements; in essence a check and balance to ensure that the municipality is moving forward and in the right direction.

Click HERE to see the Action Plan from The Path Forward.

On behalf of our readers, The Current therefore issues the Mayor a second invitation. That is, simply comply with the promise made in the Report and publish your “accountability mechanism.”