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DowntownNow
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« Reply #17 on: March 04, 2009, 10:39:07 am » |
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I think the underlying question being asked is "does Councilor Gomez represent his entire district with a balance in mind?" My answer would be "In my opinion, no." I say this because while the revitalization of downtown should be important to all citizens that want a vibrant and thriving city, the rest of the community, its wants, needs and concerns, must also be addressed in equal fashion. I have witnessed Councilor Gomez attend virtually every downtown meeting concerning what is going on within downtown but I can also say that meetings regarding things outside the IDL seem to lack his full attention.
An example of the way I think Councilor Gomez thinks, in terms of representation, regards the discussion about the Ballpark Improvement District Assessment. Councilor Gomez continually stated that 53% of downtown land owners were in favor of the ballpark. This was his statement to media outlets, before the council and to the citizens. The truth is more along the lines of 53% of the downtown land owners by square footage were in favor of the BID assessment, not 53% of the individual property owners. The majority of square footage being held by donors, trustees and the City. This was not a good representation of the best interests of the majority of his individual constituents and their stated concerns.
I think if you choose to run for office to become a City Councilor (the position itself is a thankless one and under paid in my opinion) then you should be ready to take and accept criticism, learn from it, adjust to it but always, always represent your constituents with honesty, integrity and time. - oh and not to mention transparency. In some cases I believe he has neglected his constituents, hence the reason for the voiced concerns that we see day in and day out.
In the end, the constituents of District 4 are the ones that voted him in and they are the ones he will have to answer to come election day. The same goes for any City Councilor that his/her dristrict feels is ignoring their desires.
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