Guest column:

As of the writing of this article, there have not been any applications received for the Crescenta Valley Town Council election which takes place on Saturday, Nov. 1. This article offers a synopsis of what the community needs in a candidate.

Having served on the Council for several years, I have found that there are qualities in a Councilmember that are vital to the community at large. I urge candidates to personally reflect on these and, even more importantly, I urge voters to make sure their vote is cast for a candidate that has all of these qualities. It is truly in the best interest of the community to have qualified Councilmembers.

Taken from “The American’s Creed,” and adapted to our Council, it would be great if a candidate would be able to say, and mean, “I therefore believe it is my duty to my [community] to love it, to support [the Council], to obey its [bylaws], to respect [my fellow Councilmembers and residents and businesses], and to defend it against all enemies.” How does this apply and what questions should be considered?

An ideal candidate for the Councilmember position would love their community. Their reason for running for the position would not be for personal, selfish gain or acknowledgement. They would want to work (and work hard) for the good of everyone. What has your candidate done in the past 12-24 months for the good of the community at large?

An ideal candidate would support the Council. They would attend meetings regularly. They would work on more than one Council project. They would have the energy and stamina to accomplish agreed upon goals and objectives. What has your candidate done, if desiring to return to the Council, in the last 12-24 months, to support the Council? How many meetings have they attended? How many have they missed?

An ideal candidate would obey the Council bylaws. Without a rule of law, anyone can do as they please. Constantly trying to side-step the bylaws and not follow them is not appropriate behavior for a Councilmember. Has your candidate been supportive of the bylaws? Have they followed them and encouraged others to do so?

An ideal candidate would respect their fellow Councilmembers. No group can function well without mutual respect. Are there certain requests that the Council has made to help it function better which your candidate has not observed? Has your candidate been respectful of their colleagues’ time?