By Eric Pool
On May 23rd, at the city council meeting, Sidney Vice Mayor Galloway announced he is resigning from the city council in order to take early retirement from the Sidney city schools and move closer to his son and grandsons. He has served on the City Council since 2013, we thank him for all his years of service and wish him well.
The City of Sidney, on May 30th, posted a vacancy notice for the city council position. The City Council determined that the council vacancy will be filled by requesting letters of interest accompanied by qualifications/resumes from qualified registered voters who reside within the corporate limits of the City of Sidney, Nebraska. First, we feel this should have been discussed at a city council meeting before being decided unilaterally by the council and announced. The People appear to be being deliberately blocked from exercising their rights to vote for their representatives.
The laws that reference this particular situation are NE statutes 32-568 and 32-569, to which the links are available below; we encourage you to read them. These laws can be difficult to interpret, but please take time to review and read. Our city's particular system of government is referenced in 32-568 section (3) and in 32-569 section (2).
Chapter 32-568 section (3) outlines the process of filling the vacancy by the mayor with the council's consent. Chapter 32-569 section (2) describes that in lieu of filling the vacancy via 32-568, the city can call for a special election. With the amount of distrust, lack of transparency, and entrenchment in local government; it would absolutely behoove the council to call for a special election to guarantee all voting citizens of Sidney have an opportunity to cast a vote for a candidate to fill this vacancy, which still has 75% left on its term. This also guarantees that the process is fair and impartial, especially based on the results of the November election concerning the previous assessor.
We feel the appointment is being done because the establishment within the city government feels that there is a huge possibility that a candidate they don't approve of will win the election. And quite frankly, if the citizens are given the opportunity of going into the voting booth alone with no one but themselves watching, posting, or tagging; we feel that's exactly what will happen. Many times when meaningful change happens, it's always at a turning point. Well, this is one of Sidney's watershed moments. We must decide; continue with the insanity or make meaningful change for a new representative(s) that ushers in lower taxes, promote a pro-business environment, negotiates with developers for new housing starts, demands efficient fiscal responsibility, and keeps the business dealings of the city on the table in full view of The People.
We can email, call, and go into the city office and make our voices heard about wanting a special, impartial election. When you see this topic on social media, be sure to like or express comments on what you would like to see done. Another option for our community is to support the EPIC option and change to a consumption tax away from property tax, check out our article on the page. EPIC OPTION.
Please express your voice and give your opinion. The link to the City's email to write to the mayor is posted right below.