Letter: Partisanship or public interest

From: Randy Maluchnik
Carver County Commissioner
Partisan politics corrupts the functions of local government.
There is an effort by a small minority of local partisan extremists to make elected county, city, and township positions in Carver County partisan.
This dangerous concept would bring the polarization of partisan politics with its ineffectiveness to local government. Why would we in Carver County want to bring the gridlock of the Minnesota State Legislature and the division of Washington Beltway politics to our local governments?
Local government elections should be about choices and what is best for the public interest, not what party bosses think is best for us all.
Carver County has a long history of supporting a thriving democracy dependent on a well-informed citizenry that votes and takes civic engagement seriously. A nonpartisan election brings to the table greater competition to county, city, and township elections while placing the focus on the competency and qualifications of candidates, instead of partisan party politics.
Nonpartisan local elected offices are more accessible and more accountable to the citizenry. Candidates for local office in Carver County do not have to pass an ideological political party litmus test, just have a practical vision.
Local government officials in Carver County can take satisfaction in knowing that they were elected without attachment to a political party. These local officials were elected to really represent their constituents and not the special interests of the Republican or Democratic parties. Nonpartisan elected officials have an independence that is rarely possessed in the partisan systems.
County, city, and township government is a meat and potatoes type of government delivering basic local services.
Local government must respond to the day-to-day needs of our communities, from water treatment, law enforcement, building permits, fire protection, recycling centers, street maintenance, parks and recreation, to land use planning. Influence on these fundamental services should be from the people and not through a partisan process.
When a city council is trying to decide where to build a new fire station, does there really need to be a Republican and a Democratic position?
Elected officials who run under a party banner serve under that banner once they are in office. I often wonder whether their votes serve the people or the party. If they are following a party line are they really listening to the constituents that they are supposed to be representing?
Let’s keep local elected government in Carver County free from partisan politics and focus on the real public interest. I am interested in hearing from county residents concerning this issue. Please send your comments to my e-mail Randy@chaska.net.