(12/2018) It is common knowledge that both electoral politics and governance has become more polarized, more intensely partisan and ideologically-driven. And, to no surprise, that has often led to it also being less civil, or more rancorous and vitriolic,

I’m thankful that the worst of that has not generally been true of many or most of the elected officials serving in our local municipalities or in county government in Frederick County. But, without naming names or assigning blame along partisan lines, anyone who has paid close attention to county government the last four years knows that such polarization and acrimony has, shall we say, not been absent.

And, unfortunately, in our recent local elections, we also saw some of the campaigns in more contested and contentious races resort to bitter and nasty, even malicious, personal and political attacks.

It would be better, of course, for many reasons, if that didn’t happen at all. But I am very pleased and heartened to note that very little of that occurred in the races for the seven seats on the next county council.

And, in the race for the two at-large seats, in which I was a candidate, although there were some significant differences between candidates, all five of the candidates and their campaigns conducted themselves in a civil and decent manner, focusing on the issues, their experience and their point of view and policy preferences. This was evident at the many candidate forums in which we all participated, additional campaign appearances, and all other forms of public outreach I am aware of.

It would be nice to take such campaigns for granted, but since that clearly isn’t the case nowadays, I would like to express my genuine appreciation to the other candidates who ran at-large: Susan Reeder Jesse, Bud Otis, Danny Farrar and Phil Dacey.

Again, this did not happen because we all agreed about many of the important issues and challenges and choices facing Frederick County. Having a civil debate or a civil campaign does not means you have to compromise what you believe, and it doesn’t mean you can’t or don’t criticize positions and policies you disagree with.

And the same thing can be said about governance as campaigning.

Having had the chance, over the years in some cases, or throughout the recent election in others, to meet and engage with and get to know, to varying degrees, all of the other members of the newly elected and incoming county council, I am sincerely convinced that the seven members of the new council are going work well and productively together, in a civil manner.

That should always be the goal, and the expectation.

Frederick County is a wonderful place. But we also face a variety of significant challenges, and opportunities, and choices. We owe it to all the citizens of the county to address these issues in a thoughtful and effective manner.

Local government is about local issues. And I have long believed that the great majority of what local government is charged to do is not inherently partisan in nature. Again, that certainly does not mean we aren’t going to disagree, on some matters small and large, and strongly at times. We will.

But as our still new charter government moves into it’s second term, we can demonstrate that a council with a diversity of perspectives, representing and working on behalf of a county with a even greater diversity of people and perspectives, can function efficiently and effectively, for the benefit of everyone in our community.

In thinking about this for a while, I’ve found there is an abundance of information and suggestions and support for those who are interested in breaking free of the growing political polarization, the deepening partisan divide and the increasing incivility and rancor that characterizes so much of the discussion and debate among ourselves and our elected officials.

The subject is too big to enumerate all those things here and now, but one thing I came across was the "Better Angels Pledge." Here it is:

As individuals, we try to understand the other side’s point of view, even if we don’t agree with it.

In our communities, we engage those we disagree with, looking for common ground and ways to work together.

In politics, we support principles that bring us together rather than divide us.

If we start our four year term by assuming we all care about our community, that we all have good intentions, and that we’re all in this together, I’m confident we can live up to the ideals expressed in that clear and simple pledge.