With just about three weeks before Election Day, I can’t help but consider just how eerily similar our electoral process is to the standard “job interview” process with which so many of us are familiar.
I have a personal understanding of this: Last December, when 21 certified candidates – myself included – faced the Brantford City Council in hopes of being appointed to the vacant seat left open by Rick Weaver’s resignation, I reckoned back to some of my first job interviews as a younger man as councilors asked us about our background, connection to our city, and breadth of experience.
I think that frame of reference is the correct one through which to examine the current crop of candidates hoping for an opportunity to serve us on Brantford’s next City Council.
That leads me to wonder: Are we confident that voters are prepared to sit through the “hiring process” and make informed choices?
While many of my friends and neighbors have voiced their wariness to me in recent days – especially after the television debates – I’m not so sure. And I understand the sentiment and feeling of complacency, especially as our community has encountered too much struggle, anxiety, and pressure over the past few years.
Yet with so much on the line, I urge my fellow Brantford residents to take the time to involve themselves – at least as well-informed voters – in this coming election. There are so many candidates vying for our votes, which could result in a variety of outcomes for our city.
So while the time to Election Day is counting down rapidly, we are near the end of perhaps the most public, and important, job interview any of us will encounter.
Here’s hoping everyone does their part.
