Gloucester City\’s Ward System: A \”PRO\” & \”CON\” Debate

The time has come to open a debate about Gloucester City’s Ward system. As I have written in previous articles over this past year, I believe our Wards are outdated and no longer serve the best interests of a City that has 12,000 residents living in a mere 2.2 square mile area. The Wards prohibit full participation in our electoral process and segregate voters from expressing their will.

Many of our residents and City leaders have expressed similar frustrations with Gloucester City’s governing/voter divisions. Former and current Mayors and Council members have cited the difficulty in finding residents who have an interest in serving in our City government, from all three Wards, as well as the alienation of voters from choosing their full leadership.

Though I am an outspoken advocate for nonpartisan and ward-free governance, I would like to encourage a debate for all residents to weigh in on. I encourage your comments, insights, questions, experiences and knowledge of our City’s Ward system. Hopefully, with your input, a clear consensus and resolution can be achieved.

To start the dialogue I would like to list one \”pro\” and one \”con\” of the Ward system:

PRO: The Ward system prevents one area of the City from having too much influence.

CON: The Ward system limits residents from voting for or against Council candidates who, if elected, will be appointed to committees that are responsible for the entire City.