By Emily Stonehouse

I’ve been putting a lot of thought into how we cover these upcoming municipal elections.

It’s been a pleasant surprise to see the volume of names that have been thrown into the hat for the various round tables. A notable jump from the past number of acclamations and ambivalency that fogged the minds of many in recent years.

My hope is that all those who have put their names forward are doing so in the name of progress as opposed to anger.

If you come into a position of power with the intention of overruling someone or something that has wronged you, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. It should be sport instead of spite, support instead of sourness.

And a reminder that while those elected become the heads of the table, the neck, limbs, and body still reside to individual township staff. It needs to be a symbiotic, complementary dynamic between all those involved in decision making and governance.

But how do we, as an accountable newspaper that’s been covering elections since the late 1800s, make sure we properly incorporate all components of the upcoming decision? In the past, we’ve dedicated pages to features, to platforms, to past experiences.

I’ve already had a number of candidates reach out to me, hoping to use our platform to further their platform. Eye for an eye, step for a step.

But I want to make sure we’re doing this properly. The interesting thing about local elections is that we’re all colour blind in them. While we may personally know the underlying bias and opinions of those running, they’re not flying with a flag in tow. There are no colours or criteria that they are operating under. It’s them as individuals; some with years of experience under their belts, and others who have never set foot in a municipal office.

But the hope is that they care. Plain and simple, black and white.

My intention and commitment is to ensure that our newspaper remains neutral and non-partisan. Every individual interested in office will be allocated the same amount of coverage, and will be tasked with the same questions, in the same interview format. Through the consistent platform, my hope is that true colours will float to the surface, and the opportunity for individual thought and decision making will come down to the reader.

In terms of timing, I will likely hold off on profiles until the nomination period for unofficial candidates wraps up on Aug. 21. From there, we will have up until elections in October to feature the nominees who are certified, and be sure that their platforms and priorities are top of mind as we head to the polls.

For the sake of accountability and transparency as a community newspaper, I put this question out to the world: what do you want to see as we feature these candidates? What questions are pressing for not only you, but the greater good of our communities? What is important for us to understand as we look ahead, while honouring how far we’ve come?

If you have questions you would like answered, send them to emily@haliburtonpress.com, and I can build them into the rotation of our profiles as we head into election time. A community newspaper is meant to be a living, breathing resource that highlights the thoughts, stories, and dreams that come from our little neck of the woods. This is your chance to speak up and have your voice heard. Are you ready?