Yes to District Voting

Under the current system, the Town of Clarksville elects five District Council members and two At-Large Council members every four years. All Clarksville voters are eligible to vote in all five District and both At-Large Council races.

Quite simply, this is not representative government. The current system is rife for potential disenfranchisement of large blocks of voters, and across all demographics.

The people of Clarksville deserve a government capable of addressing the needs of not only the town, but the Districts and residents that comprise the town. The only way to ensure the people have representation on all levels of town government is to ensure the people are fairly represented, and this is what District Voting will accomplish.

District Voting, in my opinion, also promotes greater involvement on a neighborhood level, as the candidates will have to meet the voters they wish to represent, rather than simply heading to where the most people are to stump for votes. This will also provide the council with a broader range of issues of concern to the people, which may allow for future preparation should the issue become a full-blown problem.

My Republican opponent lists as a “Pro” for the current voting method: “Council members are more able to focus on how a decision affects the betterment of the entire town and not just focused on how it impacts their respective District.” I would argue that, ideally, any suitable council member would and should be able to do just that, regardless of the voting method in place.

By suggesting hiring an independent research firm to conduct a survey regarding district voting, the Democrats propose not only kicking the can down the road, but getting a more expensive can to kick and having someone else kick it for them. The will of the people seems to speak to district voting, and the idea of using taxpayer money to study a question that’s already been answered is irresponsible and disingenuous.