Election Day comes up in Havre de Grace on Tuesday, as it does every first Tuesday in May.
This year, three of the six city council seats are being filled by the city's voters. There's no race for mayor – that doesn't come up again until next May's election.
Historically, voter turnout in Havre de Grace is less for these so-called off-year elections when there's no mayor's race, but if you live in the city and are eligible to vote, don't let that be an excuse to stay home.
Havre de Grace's City Council is, at the very least, an equal partner with the mayor in running the city. The council has the final say on all financial decisions, the setting of taxes, city fees and water and sewer rates. None of those get increased or decreased without the council's say-so. The only time the mayor gets into those final acts is when there's a rare tie among the six council members.
As we noted in this space a week ago, there are seven very qualified candidates whose names will be on Tuesday's ballot, among them three incumbent council members who are seeking new terms.
We believe any one of the seven candidates can and will serve the city admirably, but it remains up to the voters to choose who their representatives will be for the next two years.
If you don't vote, you don't get to choose and, more importantly, you are essentially left out of the loop going forward. If the city council makes bad decisions, it won't be your fault, if you don't vote, but you also shouldn't expect to complain. That's frankly not a position to which anyone who cares about their city should voluntarily aspire.
Be involved this year and every year. Show up at St. Patrick's Hall between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesday and make your voice heard loud and clear by voting.