Schermerhorn - 2005

It's been a rather slow week at work.

This is usually bad news for me. My brain needs a certain threshold of multiple activities so it can busy itself. When work doesn't provide enough stimulation then my brain creates its own.

I scheme.

I plan my financial future (millionaire by age 40). I think up business ideas. I peruse my friends blogs. I write down goals. I read my old goals.

This week, I'm formulating my campaign strategy.

You see, one of my life's goals is to hold public office. And since it's election season it is only natural that my mind might be drawn to this pursuit.

(And I'll be old enough to run for President in the next presidential election. Someone is going to have to succeed Bush, right? You think Cheney? Come on...)

Anyway, I've been thinking about running for Middletown City Council.

Middletown's council is made up of seven members, each serving four-year terms. Three of these are at-large members voted on by the entire city and then Middletown is divided into four wards, each with (relatively) equal population. Each ward votes on its own council member. These at-larg and ward elections are staggered by two years. Last year we voted for the three at-large representatives.

That means in November 2005 the three ward representative slots are up for grabs.

I've been doing research. (If you want to follow along, check out the Butler County Board of Elections results archive).

In 2001 David Schiavone ran unapposed. There were a total of 1338 ballots cast in Ward 4, and 1093 voted for Mr. Schiavone. In the 2003 election the three at-large seats were all won with about 4100 votes.

Here is the precinct-by-precinct breakdown of the 2001 Ward 4 representative election:

0350 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DA . . 90
0351 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DB . . 129
0352 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DC . . 183
0353 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DD . . 138
0354 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DE . ....... . 86
0355 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DF . . 190
0356 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DG . . 145
0357 MIDDLETOWN CITY 3DH . . 132
MIDDLETOWN WARD 4 -8- . . 1,093

Will there be multiple candidates on the ballot next fall? I don't know that yet.

But I think I can win this election for these reasons:

I've lived in this neighborhood for 7 years. That's a track-record of consistency.

I'm well-educated, with a double-major Bachelors degree and part of my Masters degree completed (Middletown statistics indicate that only 13.1% of the city population over the age of 25 has achieved higher than a high-school diploma. See the City of Middletown Profile published by the Planning Department for more information. And don't complain to me about their numbers not adding up--I've already noticed.)

My Ward has a track record of electing representatives with strange surnames that begin with SCH. Mr. Schiavone. Mr. Schermerhorn. I think it's a sign.

If you study my Ward's voting record you'll see that in our last Ward election we had a whopping 20.83% voter turnout. My precinct, 3DA, had a dismal 13.78% (106 voters of 769 registered). If I can't get 20% of my neighbors to vote for me then I don't deserve the seat.

So I'm asking for your support. If you live in Middletown Ward 4, vote Schermerhorn in 2005!

~~~

I'm almost serious about this.

The depressing thing is, I don't plan on living in Middletown forever. I've always imagined that I'd move down into West Chester or somewhere down there.

(I knew I should have moved years ago.)

If I move next year then it will take me a couple years to establish myself so I can legitimately claim to be a resident of the municipality. Then I've got to wait for the proper election cycle to roll around.

If I don't make the Middletown ballot next year then I'll likely be waiting until I'm nearly 40.

Mark your calendars: Schermerhorn 2013!