[RP TownTalk] Policy on electronic media

[Vernon Archer]

Dear voters,

Have you seen the paper election bills on the utility poles in your area
yet? If you have, you will notice that it gives you the names of the
candidates for each office and that is all.

These paper postings, along with an advertisement in a paper of general
circulation (we use the Town Crier), are the Charter mandated means of
getting information about elections out to you. Anything that is done by the
town beyond that represents the Mayor and Council going extra steps to give
information to the public.

You will note that when the announcement went out electronically via
the Town Announce it included for each candidate the 1) phone number; 2)
email address; and 3) web site (if the candidate has one).  If you want to
have a one-on-one discussion with the candidates for office you are better
able to do that now than in any election that has ever occurred in the
history of Riverdale Park--and Riverdale Park already had a very good record
of constituent access to candidates.

Every Council member in one way or another advocated providing more
information to improve electronic/voice access to the candidates. The only
no vote on the current policy for improving this access came from a council
member who wanted to go farther still.

Also, because of a high quality Town Crier newsletter, and the discussions
that have occurred on Town Talk over the last 21 months residents have
available to them the information that should allow them to understand the
basic issues facing the town.  On top of this we televise our legislative
meetings, and broadcast the audio of our work sessions.  Residents are free
to and strongly encouraged to attend these meetings in person.

In conclusion, after watching the current policy in action I can see several
things that might need to be changed/improved; however, the system does
provide more information and encourages better access to the candidates than
has been the case previously. It would be improper to change the rules in
the middle of the game, but I will ask the new Council to consider this
matter immediately when it convenes in June.

Best wishes,

Vern

-- 
Vernon Archer, Mayor
Town of Riverdale Park, Maryland
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