On July 29, Blythewood residents have an opportunity to choose a form of government that executes our will in an effective, professional, and accountable approach that best serves the interests of our community. Contrary to Mayor Griffin’s recent statement that “I am the Town of Blythewood” as justification for another unilateral and questionable action without council’s knowledge, it is important to strongly clap back at this condescending mentality and shout that, “We Are Blythewood’!
For that simple reason, we need to vote “YES.”
Given the growth and the complexities of infrastructure building to support the development of our town, we need the Council-Manager model, which combines the strengths of all elected leadership with the expertise of professional administration.
Under this system, the mayor – together with the other members of town council – will set policies and direction while a professionally experienced and competent town manager oversees (under the direction of council) the day-to-day operations of the government. This separation of policy and administration helps ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of the entire community and not based on political influence or personal agendas.
This form of governing will allow Blythewood to benefit from skilled leadership in managing complex budgets and planning for future growth, in a transparent and accountable way with the appropriate checks and balances. It minimizes the risks of conflicts of interest, political decision making or divisive, authoritative bully-pulpit approaches that can easily occur with the strong-mayor form of government when led by an inexperienced mayor.
In summary, the Council-Manager form of government brings together democratic values and administrative expertise. It is a proven model used successfully in many communities ensuring that our local government remains responsive and focused on the needs of all residents rather than an elected officials’ political ambitions.
Finally, we need to have leaders that work together for us in order to produce greater harmony and less divisiveness.
Let our voices be heard…. Vote ‘YES’!
