There’s an election | coming on November 5. And four borough council positions are on the ballot. Here is a snapshot of the sample ballot listing candidates for borough council who are on the ballot. As in any election, all citizens who are registered to vote, hopefully, will go to their voting places to select those persons whom they believe will best represent their values, beliefs and interests.
Hopefully, the electorate will not be swayed by partisan politics or by glittering generalities that will be bandied about. Hopefully, the electorate will vote for principled persons who will reinforce consistency, transparency and ethical practices in governance.
Any time a citizen participates in governance, there is an absolute learning ramp that has to be negotiated. The persons who will participate by being elected public servants or volunteers in committees or boards have taken on responsibilities of mammoth scale. The amount of time they’ll spend in reading, preparing, studying, listening, MBWA (managing by walking around), deliberating, sitting in meetings, etc. is far beyond the monetary or personal recompense they’ll receive.
They will undertake a mission to learn how government works. They will endure seemingly endless meetings, webinars, workshops, conversations, demonstrations, sifting through volumes of emails, voice messages and “street conversations.”
The candidates who are on the ballot, or any other persons who may want to petition as a write-in candidate, want to earn your confidence and your vote.
Now it’s up to you, Mr. / Ms. / Mrs. Registered Voter Citizen.
Between now and November 5 — find out as much as you can about borough governance, the candidates’ views and goals for Columbia, the budget and the way the borough works. Make time to be an involved citizen. Attend borough meetings or view them online. Then be sure to vote for the four borough council candidates who you believe will best represent Columbia’s, and your, interests with integrity, transparency and honesty.
Columbia news, views & reviews 
Good morning Brian,Curious as to why you have yet to mention or question why 3 of the candidates from primary election have yet to attend any of the budget meetings despite repeated invites. Also I’ve only seen one of them attend 1 council meeting and that was awhile ago.Tough to learn about or get a feel for meeting environment without attending.Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S8, an AT&T 5G Evolution capable smartphone
My first thing I look at is which party they want to hang there hat on. Right now the Democrats look like a bunch of children playing house. With values like that it’s hard to look past it too see the good in anything they say because let’s face it they lie a lot. So as a Republican I will stay with my party. Sorry that’s my opinion.
Let me make sure I understand you correctly – you are voting straight Republican in the municipal election because you are opposed to the Democratic Party on the National level? What if I told you at least 2 of the Republican candidates have said they are not opposed to building a parking garage downtown and using tax dollars to do it. You do realize one of the Republican candidates voted to raise your Municipal taxes by 21 percent last year? You also realize that same Republican has voted time and time again to spend thousands of taxpayer money to “study” properties that are not Borough owned? I am not a fan of the National Democratic party either but I am not going to use that as a reason to vote against local Democrats that share my thoughts on transparency and fiscal responsibility.
Only two candidates for borough council felt the need to attend the 10/8/2019 council meeting. What will people see if the other candidates get elected? Remote attendance as is seen with one seated director on the school board of directors?.
Most people don’t bother to vote. Could one reason be that they know so many running for election won’t actually do their jobs of representing the people?
Here’s a letter-to-the-editor in the 10/10/2019 LNP – Always Lancaster issue about straight-party tickets:
“Pitfalls of voting a straight ticket
As a registered Republican, I have never voted a straight ticket in the past 60 years. I can only imagine that the following conversation will play out many times in November 2020, at most Lancaster County polling places: “Who did you vote for for president?”
“I don’t know, I vote straight Republican.”
“Could you have cast a ballot for Vladimir Putin or Kim Jong Un or Mickey Mouse?”
“I don’t know, I vote straight Republican.”
“How about for senator or your congressman?”
Same answer.
“How about judges, tax collector or dog catcher?”
Same answer.
Do you see why we have a “stable genius” in the White House and our country is in such sad shape?
Answer: “I vote straight Republican.”
Well, welcome to Lancaster County. Please set your clocks back 200 years.
Maybe, to make people think, just a little, when they go to the polls, why don’t we eliminate the lever that people pull to vote straight party, both Republican and Democrat?
Enough said.
Richard Hibshman East Hempfield Township
I want to say thank you to two candidates: Ms. Lintner and Ms. Zink for their continual, enthusiastic campaigning. In an election where numerous candidates were voted onto the ballot under the guise of “Change,” a majority have disappeared into the ethers, seemingly content that prospective voters will vote for them because they’re friends and neighbors or simply because they’re hoisting the banner of “Change.”
Ms. Linter and Ms. Zink have provided insights into their ideas and “platforms.” Though I may not necessarily share their “politics” or have met them, I believe both of them are genuinely concerned with Columbia’s well-being. And, yes, I might cast a vote for one or both of them.
But, as a newcomer to Columbia, I want to provided an outsider’s perspective to all candidates running—as many of them appear to be long time residents of Columbia: The blame for this town’s condition, ongoing struggles etc being lumped onto the current borough council—or particular members—is short-sighted and ultimately disingenuous.
(I’m not at all giving a free pass to the current council.)
But, politics and policies are incremental.
What Columbia is experiencing today is also the product of Borough decisions—and, inactions—from 20, 30, 40 years ago.
Columbia is no different then a lot of places in this country searching to survive after old money ventured elsewhere or deindustrialization wiped out its tax base. In the past, it evidently relied on a lot of quick fixes from the “urban renewal handbook.” Ultimately, those are all destructive. It harms the hard-working, generational families that have persevered and the transient, working poor to welfare populace that it attracts.
Over the last 20 and 30 years as York, Harrisburg and Lancaster City have undergone different phases of revitalization, I and a lot of newcomers have asked, “What has Columbia been doing all these years?”
Great question.
From my perspective, the insular, generational, tribal nature of this town has contributed to its stasis and even rot…
‘Hunker Down, We’re River Rats. We Do It Differently Here…’
I love part of the mentality. One of community pride.
But, that “Hunker Down” part seems to have exhibited itself in politics and policies for a long time.
And, it’s going to catch up and result in a lot of pain for long time residents.
(I hope our candidates of the present and future understand there will be a lot of new faces in the coming years)
The current revitalization that we are undergoing could result in rapid Gentrification.
As Lancaster City pushes out, the Amtrak corridor brings more outsiders, large real estate firms could start—essentially—gobbling up neighborhood blocks.
Washington DC Politics and Activism aren’t going to solve it.
Again, this will not necessarily be the fault of this current borough, but of the past, as well.
Casting invective toward ‘The Developer,’ our antique businesses and other entrepreneurs setting up shop will do nothing to help this community evolve.
We’re lucky that Lancaster County has a varied economy: agriculture, manufacturing and professional. It would be nice to find a way to balance both our blue and white collar economies.
Or, maybe like a New Hope PA, we leverage our antique business community and become a “tourist town.” Maybe, we could partner with Wrightsville and become a smaller New Hope/Lamberstville New Jersey…?
Maybe an emerging “Tech Center?”
(though Dot Com Bust 2.0 seems imminent)
Harness the emerging Hemp Industry?
I don’t know, but as a community, we have to start looking outward, overcome animosity and understand this isn’t The Good Ole’ Days.
I hope our “Candidates Of Change” do that as well.
Again, thank you Mr. Long for this space to give my perspective… And, my perspective could be absolutely wrong, so I always welcome insights from the “old timers.”