Guest Editorial from the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area

‘Run for Office!’ A How-To for Prospective Candidates

Your road gets plowed. The school bus picks up your kids. You turn on the water and it comes out clean.

How does all this happen? People in our community—your friends and neighbors— gather monthly to grapple with the issues that make our communities work and flourish. They serve the public because, as former U.S. Representative Lee H. Hamilton once said, “… public service is a stimulating, proud and lively enterprise. It is not just a way of life; it is a way to live fully.”

In the last general election, there were seven positions in the county in which a candidate for office ran unopposed and eight positions for which there were no candidates at all. School districts in the area have a similar problem enticing citizens to step up and support their communities’ schools. Our local municipalities and school districts need more citizens to respond to this call to service.

We realize that what stops many people from coming forward to serve is lack of information. From simple questions like ‘How do I get on the ballot?’ to ‘How much time will I have to spend with my duties?’ and ‘Do I get paid?’

That’s why we have organized our upcoming “Run for Office!” event. We think that hearing from those who have served, or are still serving our community, will encourage people who might want, as Congressman Hamilton said, “to live life fully.”

Run for Office! will take place on Wednesday, February 26 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Clark Sports Center Community Room. The League has invited current and former elected officials to share their experiences. They will explain the scope of the work entailed and the satisfaction of participating in this important work in their community.

Panelists will include Jeff Katz, past trustee and former mayor of Cooperstown; Meg Kiernan, former supervisor of the Town of Otsego; Cody Moore, a member of the Cooperstown Central School Board; and Jeff Woeppel, Middlefield Town Board member.

Each panelist will make a presentation addressing a variety of topics, including what training is available, how much time is required, what motivated them to run, and what they learned from serving. There will be ample time for questions.

The League will also provide nuts-and-bolts information on how to get on the ballot, what the deadlines are for petitions, and other information that people will need to “Run For Office!”

The League of Women Voters, a non-partisan political membership organization open to men and women, encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. To learn more about the LWV of the Cooperstown Area, visit www.lwvcooperstownarea.org.

Hudi Podolsky is a member of the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area.