Published in The Times Herald, Sunday, Jan. 5
A few years ago, Norristown council changed its zoning laws
to ban pawn shops and check cashers in central business districts on both the
east and west sides of town.
But you would never know by the digital advertising you see
driving across the Dannehower Bridge. Just the other day I saw a sign blazing
for www.marshallstreetcheckcashing.com,
which advertises, “We do one thing right. Cash checks.”
The sign is a clear indicator that legislation is no
replacement for leadership.
Across this town, there are more clear signs that laws, and
plans and committees alone are insufficient to overcome the general crisis in confidence
citizens, homeowners, businesses and consumers have with the county seat.
This is why I have decided to go public with my quest to be
president of Norristown council.
I am convinced that strong, clear, creative and
community-focused leadership can and will make a difference where other
approaches have failed.
Some will say why make this appeal because your council
colleagues will decide who leads them. And this is true, council votes on the
matter, and some of them won’t vote for me. But it should also be true that our
community has a voice in the matter too.
Elections matter, and the primary and general elections of
2013 were an expression of the voters’ desire to move beyond the status quo and
see some form of change in not just the composition of council, but its
leadership as well.
Like never before, we need strong, bold and clear
leadership.
For decades we have been reading headlines about this
community’s decline.
One article, from 1995 begins, “The candidates running for
open council seats here agree on at least one thing: After surviving the
collapse of a bridge, a fire that devastated a Main Street block, the ongoing
bitter feud between the council and the mayor, and the slowly dwindling tax
base, Norristown must change direction now, or follow the path of such blighted
boroughs as Chester.”
It is the same story, but a different date, because what
hasn’t truly changed is the quality, character and credibility of our
leadership.
We have an opportunity to go in a truly different direction
– and to do so now.
My top priority as council president would be to restore
confidence in local government – first and foremost by doing the public’s
business in public, and not behind closed doors. As a political activist, I
will offer tough decision making and a clear understanding of complex issues
that will enable us to keep simple commitments like clean and safe streets.
At the same time we need a leader that truly understands the
complexities of financing transformative developments through public-private
partnerships, while at the same time tackling cycles of poverty, gang violence
and general lack of opportunity that threaten many vulnerable Norristown young
people and their families.
We need leadership that has truly listened to Norristown in
all its diversity. As I participated in the search for a new police chief in
2013, I heard the strong opinions of black people who felt denied, white people
who felt misunderstood and Latinos who felt profiled. I understood that being
effective in Norristown is not quickly claiming to represent a town with so
many competing identities and constituencies, but building trust and
credibility as a listener and bridge builder.
My work with Latinos to support immigration reform, and
young professionals to promote the arts, and with long-time natives to make
grassroots groups strong and relevant, along with a clear commitment to
intergovernmental cooperation to get money for anti-violence work, fair housing
and economic development opportunities – it all speaks to the kind of
leadership that cannot legislate change, but can help restore confidence – the
confidence that inspires investment in a land development deal, a new home, a
neighborhood playground, or a just a night out for dinner and theater in
downtown.
On Monday, January 6, I want the public to know you can
indeed determine who the next council president is if you speak up and speak
out. I want your support. I might not be council’s choice, but I want to be the
people’s choice for council president.
I want to further support the emerging and evolving civic
engagement that has been steadily increasing in Norristown, and I want to turn frustrated
activism based on opposition into faithful advocacy for our town based on
confidence in our ability to broker opportunity – together.
Marlon Millner is
councilman at large in Norristown, PA. Follow him on Facebook at Councilman
Millner or on Twitter at NorristownPOL.
