I appreciate your consideration for the vacant council position and feel that *new councilman* is an excellent choice. I like and respect him and would have voted for him had he run in the last election. That said you made a comment last night that is worth noting and discussing.
There is a division of the City Council that is obvious to the most casual observer. It seems as though past conflicts and personal animosity have played the major role in this divisiveness. I had hoped that a neutral candidate, unaffiliated with these past issues, would be able to help refocus the Council and heal some of these wounds. I was deeply disappointed to discover that after two weeks of discussion the City Council was unable to reach a consensus. It seemed as though further discussion would only entrench the ideology of both sides. I think Councilman T will do an excellent job, but feel he was involved in some of the issues that led to this animosity between council members and I am worried and saddened that the council could not clearly see this as an issue. It is deeply troubling to wonder if personal dislike colors the decisions made for this city.
So, as a concerned citizen I am saying now: it is time to put away past conflict, hurt feelings, and the animosity that has been harbored towards one another. It is time to refocus your energies and priorities into what is truly in the best interest of this city.
Again, I appreciate your consideration of my application to fill the vacated city council seat and look forward to being further involved in the issues of the city. Thank you all for your desire to serve and willingness to contribute your time.
I'd like to clarify that this is not sour grapes. I was always a little meh about the whole thing and only applied because of this issue. The new council member is also a former council member. He didn't run in the last election because he ran for a county commission seat. I do like and respect him; I really do think he'll do an excellent job. One of the other finalists made a point in his interview about how he was "blunt to a fault". I find this generally to translate into rude and tactless. If I were blunt to a fault, the letter would have said, "Grow up, get over it, and do your g**damn jobs!"
