Though a number of ballot questions and other political positions were being decided on Tuesday, perhaps the ones on most Lawrentians’ minds were the three open seats on Township Council. While this year’s circus has left town, its effects will now be felt for the next four years.
By all accounts, folks here are pretty fortunate not to have to deal with council elections on a yearly basis. The town’s bi-annual schedule allows residents much needed downtime before front lawns are once again littered with campaign signs and newspapers are once again littered with accusations of improprieties dealt by the opposition and promises to enact “real change,” “a better future” or some other variation to those general themes.
Compared to previous election seasons, this council race was noticeably more contentious. While both major parties signed pledges supposedly to offer the promise of an issues-based campaign that did its best to shy away from sensationalistic attacks, the air around here these last couple months has been a bit murkier than that.
From a flurry of accusations of bad government, to an onslaught of letters telling either the saintly heroics of one candidate or the failure of another to perform, to a late campaign postal push complete with character and policy attacks printed in big, easy-to-digest fonts, this campaign could be described in one word: mean.
After all this negativity, we still firmly believe candidates have had the best interests of the town in mind. But, upon first blush, it may appear that some may have gotten a little too caught up in the competition. While competition can be healthy, when the goal becomes the competition itself and not about what you’re competing for, it may be time to rethink one’s priorities.
But, that is all past. Barring any changes brought on by provisional ballots expected to be counted Friday, incumbents Pam Mount and Michael Powers, and newcomer Bob Bostock are your council election winners. They now have the opportunity to participate in making Lawrence the best place it can possibly be. Issues such as redevelopment, congestion on Route 206, property taxes and other quality-of-life topics will have to be dealt with by everyone on the dais, not just one person or party.
We call on you all to set aside whatever grievances you may have had to this point and do the best you can for Lawrence Township. Good luck.
