Written in collaboration with OUR CITY Coalition
Wanted: Challengers for ALL NINE Buffalo Common Council Seats
Since we started Rise, we talked about Buffalo’s renaissance in terms of it being the beginning of a movement to actually include the majority of its residents. Unfortunately, we’re still talking in those terms five years later. Have you felt that most of the good news from our city has been about real estate developers getting richer, and bending the green code to their will, while you as a tenant, small business owner, or single home owner have been ignored? You’re not alone. The same men have been ruling the city for too long, and they’re looking at getting re-elected for another four years without even a primary challenge. They don’t stand up to developers, and they rarely fight for you. Hell, they sit with the developers instead of their constituents at community meetings, and we wonder why another set of tax breaks got rolled out for a new build of luxury lofts in an impoverished neighborhood.
If you’ve got energy and passion for your neighbors, you should do this.
Also – this isn’t a volunteer effort. The job starts at $50,000 with great benefits. You’ll work all day on Tuesdays, and should set aside hours each week for helping your constituents (the small ones and the big ones) with their needs, but you are otherwise flexible to continue a private career, just as many of the current council members do.
If you do run, you’re not alone in your effort. If you’re reading this on our website, it’s likely that you’re community minded, and know a thing or two about social justice. If so, there’s armies of volunteers already prepared to knock on doors for you and oust the officials they’ve been growing frustrated with over the years.
The issue is, the timeline is tight. NYS new voter rules are good for participatory democracy, but this year they’re designed to help incumbents because primaries were moved up to June. You’ll want to research and declare by the end of February/beginning of March, and then you’ve got a month to get your petitions signed and your name onto primary ballots.
Put our city back into the hands of its citizens, not the richest property owners.
Check out this from our friends at OUR CITY COALITION:
There has been much talk on the national level about the need for progressives to step up and run for office, especially those who hold identities that are more representative of our republic. Now is the time to act locally. Change starts right here in the chambers of City Hall. All nine Council seats are up grabs this year, with primaries scheduled for June 2019. The same faces have made up the Common Council for too long, and none of these representatives (or anyone for that matter) should run unopposed.
Have you ever considered running for office? Check out the platform put together by the OUR CITY Coalition at www.ourcitybuffalo.org, which is organized into nine main areas that address the city’s most pressing issues, including affordable housing, community policing, quality education, and public transportation.
As long as you have lived within your council district for at least one year and are of a voting age, you are qualified to run. The time is now to get off the sidelines and join the movement for change in Buffalo. Interested in finding out more about running for a Council seat or joining the OUR CITY Coalition? Fill out this short form on the website and a coalition member will get back to you: https://www.ourcitybuffalo.
Not sure what Council district you live in? No problem, you can look it up using the Erie County Board of Elections website (https://www.elections.erie.
Need more reasons?
Check out the latest series from our friends at The Public where they also say :
Hey! Enough with this BS. No one should run unopposed for a council with such power over the city:
