Ferguson’s city council candidates agree on a lot, but their very different backgrounds offer diverging visions of the future.
Ferguson city council candidates prepare for a forum Saturday evening.
Jim Dalrymple II
FERGUSON, MO — Ferguson's city council candidates agreed on a lot Saturday night.
Sitting beneath a roughhewn cross at a local church, six of the eight contenders — two candidates didn't attend — all agreed that there should be independent investigations when police kill someone. They agreed on the value of community oriented policing, on the importance of schools, and on the problems with city management.
There were differences, too, but more than anything else each of the candidates zeroed in on one idea: change.
On April 7, Ferguson will vote in a municipal election for the first time since Michael Brown's death. Three of the six sitting council members are not seeking reelection, and much has been made of the city's looming opportunity to shake up its elected leadership.
The race is already symbolically important; four of the candidates are black, which is significant because prior to this election the city has only ever had three black council candidates in the previous 120 years.
The city council also writes laws. It created the civilian review board. Less than two weeks ago, it was the council that gave embattled city manager John Shaw a "mutual separation agreement."
In other words, the city council can play a major role in shaping Ferguson's recovery and it's future. But while each of the candidates have ambitious plans for the future, their histories may actually be the most important factor in this election.
Brian Fletcher previously served as mayor of Ferguson before "stepping down in 2011 just to have a break," he told BuzzFeed News Saturday morning. Today, Fletcher, who is white, is the chairman of I Love Ferguson — an organization that raises funds for "businesses that have been hurt by recent looting in the aftermath of the recent Ferguson tragedy."
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1MD0Jg0
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