Council turnover to bring learning curve
Ben Slivnick
Issue date: 9/17/07 Section: News
This story contains material that has been corrected.
A fresh cast of city councilmembers will mark a transitional phase for the city's legislative body next year, after three councilmen last week announced they will not seek office in this November's election.
More than half the council - at least five members coming into the election - will begin next year with less than a year's experience in city office. Incumbents swept the city council election last year, but as of last week, only one returning candidate has filed an elections packet to become an official candidate. They have until Sept. 21 to file.
Three freshmen members will replace District 3 Councilman Andy Fellows and District 1 Councilmen John Krouse and Dave Milligan, who last week announced they would not run for re-election. District 3 Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich and District 4 Councilwoman Mary Cook started on the council last January after a special election.
City officials said it's too early to tell how the new blood will affect the council's dynamic before any new members have been elected, but District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin said the turnover marks the most dramatic change he's seen on the council since he was elected in 1997. That year four new members joined the city council as a united front and brought the body renewed momentum, he said.
"When you're new you sort of have to forge some alliances," Catlin said. "If you want to get out on some issues, it's good to have someone to support you. You have to move a bit slowly if you don't know anyone else, and you need five votes to do anything."
Catlin said the four new members that arrived a decade ago, all younger than their predecessors, banded together as a voting bloc that changed the tone at meetings and renewed debate on issues long ignored such as Route 1 redevelopment.
Two members of that group - Mayor Stephen Brayman and now-County Councilman Eric Olson - have moved on to higher office. Catlin is the city's Mayor Pro Tempore.
The major tilting point in this election will be District 1, which represents North College Park, a region with large immigrant populations that faces distinct issues from the rest of the city.
Three candidates have withdrawn elections packets to consider a run in the area. Krouse and Milligan did not return calls for comment.
After both decided not to run for re-election, Catlin said the void in the district could create an unpredictable balance of power.
"It's all up to who gets elected in District 1," Catlin said. "It's going to be a tough dynamic because we just haven't had two new faces from a district like that in a while."
Stullich said the largest hurdle the two freshmen councilmembers will face will be navigating the council's rules and norms, which she said she also considers the most important skill for newcomers to master.
"It's not just issues, but learning how to work together on the council, how to make a motion, how to bring forth a resolution," she said.
And as the newcomers adapt to their settings, Cook suggested experienced councilmembers might have to pull the council through the new year.
"I don't know what they'll actually bring to the table," Cook said. "The programs we're discussing will not be at the same level as they could be if we had more experienced people on the council."
slivnickdbk@gmail.com
A fresh cast of city councilmembers will mark a transitional phase for the city's legislative body next year, after three councilmen last week announced they will not seek office in this November's election.
More than half the council - at least five members coming into the election - will begin next year with less than a year's experience in city office. Incumbents swept the city council election last year, but as of last week, only one returning candidate has filed an elections packet to become an official candidate. They have until Sept. 21 to file.
Three freshmen members will replace District 3 Councilman Andy Fellows and District 1 Councilmen John Krouse and Dave Milligan, who last week announced they would not run for re-election. District 3 Councilwoman Stephanie Stullich and District 4 Councilwoman Mary Cook started on the council last January after a special election.
City officials said it's too early to tell how the new blood will affect the council's dynamic before any new members have been elected, but District 2 Councilman Bob Catlin said the turnover marks the most dramatic change he's seen on the council since he was elected in 1997. That year four new members joined the city council as a united front and brought the body renewed momentum, he said.
"When you're new you sort of have to forge some alliances," Catlin said. "If you want to get out on some issues, it's good to have someone to support you. You have to move a bit slowly if you don't know anyone else, and you need five votes to do anything."
Catlin said the four new members that arrived a decade ago, all younger than their predecessors, banded together as a voting bloc that changed the tone at meetings and renewed debate on issues long ignored such as Route 1 redevelopment.
Two members of that group - Mayor Stephen Brayman and now-County Councilman Eric Olson - have moved on to higher office. Catlin is the city's Mayor Pro Tempore.
The major tilting point in this election will be District 1, which represents North College Park, a region with large immigrant populations that faces distinct issues from the rest of the city.
Three candidates have withdrawn elections packets to consider a run in the area. Krouse and Milligan did not return calls for comment.
After both decided not to run for re-election, Catlin said the void in the district could create an unpredictable balance of power.
"It's all up to who gets elected in District 1," Catlin said. "It's going to be a tough dynamic because we just haven't had two new faces from a district like that in a while."
Stullich said the largest hurdle the two freshmen councilmembers will face will be navigating the council's rules and norms, which she said she also considers the most important skill for newcomers to master.
"It's not just issues, but learning how to work together on the council, how to make a motion, how to bring forth a resolution," she said.
And as the newcomers adapt to their settings, Cook suggested experienced councilmembers might have to pull the council through the new year.
"I don't know what they'll actually bring to the table," Cook said. "The programs we're discussing will not be at the same level as they could be if we had more experienced people on the council."
slivnickdbk@gmail.com
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