The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
By Bill Connell.
It’s election season. A tedious time when you have to sort through a lot of noise to make a proper choice. But then you remember some people don’t get that choice, and you are grateful.
More often than not when you vote , you think, I don’t really like this person I am voting for, but it’s my best choice, and you vote. There is almost always an emotional or intellectual compromise. This year we are voting for Ward Township Council members. Thankfully my 4th Ward Councilman Carl Wright has made it easy for me to vote for and reelect.
I think what people don’t understand about Council is, they are there to facilitate things. They can’t just spend money on pet projects. Council people have to diagnose a need from the community, and then debate with eight other Council people to allot the resources during budget season. This is why thoughtful and intelligent public participation is important. There are unavoidable operational costs to running the town. Any money left over, Council members have to advocate for their Ward to get a portion of that money, or any resources the town can provide to the goal. Councilman Wright is very aware of this and is a fierce advocate.
When talking to Mr. Wright, almost every conversation starts with, “What do you think needs to be done. Is there something I need know?“ Then we move on to the topic of the day.
Bringing up race and culture is always tricky but I will give it a go. Mr. Wright is large Black man and I am a skinny White dude. Seeing us stand together can be humorous. We both have different backgrounds so it is silly to assume we see things the same way. When this aspect comes up in conversation, he doesn’t try to sell anything or look for right or wrong. He just speaks to what his job is and how he is aware of all the people’s perspectives in the Ward.
As part of a group you have to make compromises, be it marriage or Ward Councilman. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Councilman Carl Wright is very much an advocate for the 4th Ward. He is a decent person and an excellent public speaker. He knows the job and he deserves to have It again.
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