Our View

Our View

Change in Marion voting process needs better argument

Allow us to play devil’s advocate in this attempt by former Marion Councilwoman Sherry Holliman to convince Marion city leaders to do away with what she claims as a racially based at-large voting process.

Holliman first brought up the need to do away with the way Marion elects its city council members in September claiming Marion is the only city in Crittenden County aside from Turrell that doesn’t vote by ward, and that the system in place could be considered discriminatory against minorities.

Holliman also says the city’s voting method, adopted by ordinance in 1946, is antiquated and “isn’t fair,” which in our opinion, is highly debatable and unlikely.

Furthermore, it seems that with all the complaining Holliman is doing, Marion City Council is unlikely to do away with they elect their political representatives.

Holliman contends that at-large voting isn’t fair because it allows voters in other wards to have a say in electing a person to represent a specific ward they don’t live in.

She questioned why should people in Ward One have anything to say about people who are running for Ward Three? Councilman Cliff Wood responded by saying the current voting method makes every council member accountable to the whole city rather than a specific area, which is a valid argument.

For example, and let’s take a close look at Crittenden County’s largest municipality, West Memphis. Here we have five so-called wards with two elected representatives in each.

Its mayor is elected citywide, as is its treasurer, city attorney and city clerk.

The concept is that wards represent boundaries where representatives are voted upon by registered voters within that specific area. Those politicians elected from within these designated boundaries naturally represent their constituents, hear their concerns and complaints and lobby for as much municipal services and benefits as possible.

For example, a ward with a high density of lowincome residents will elect their so-called alderman to snatch as much public funds as possible for such projects as community centers, fire stations better neighborhood streets, community parks and public services.

Now, when it comes to the needs and desires of other wards of the city there are instances where elected officials have shown little or no interest because it was not beneficial to them or their constituents.

An at-large election process requires all elected officials to answer to every citizen rather than just one specific neighborhood, which means every project, need or request receives equal consideration.

If there is any question regarding discrimination it would be more likely visible with the ward-by-ward process where elected officials can turn a blind eye to the needs of areas of the city they consider irrelevant to their political agenda.

To some ward-elected politicians, we have found that their one and only interest is how can they best serve their specific area to their political advantage with little or no regard for the city as a whole.

Let’s dispel the argument that Marion’s election process is racially discriminatory and come up with a better argument or excuse to change the status quo other than self-serving reasons or false claims.