Anyone else in local politics?
Posted by amberlicious35@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 53 comments
I am currently on our Town Board and am running for Town Supervisor this November. The support has been amazing and feedback has been very positive. Except this one thing that is driving me crazy. The Boomers!
There are A LOT of 70+ residents in our small town and I swear every day they talk to me like I’m still in high school, “are you *sure* you want to do this? Do you understand how much work it’s going to be?”
Yes, Janet, I am and I do. I’ve owned 2 successful businesses and am a workaholic. You know this. You’re *quite literally* in my business trying to talk me out of it!
I’m a Xennial and the oldest kid, I’ve been working since I was a teenager and have been keeping the trains running on time for 30 years. Except that hiccup in my early 20s, but we got through it!
Just curious if anyone else has been down this road? My husband may lose his ever loving mind on the next person who says it to him lol
Want to add - they tell me they think I’ll do great and in the same breath question my sanity. Which…I get a little. Owning a small business in a small town and being involved with everything, it’s mostly coming from a place of concern that I’m spreading myself too thin. I appreciate it, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s because we will forever be the kids in their eyes?
Glendale0839@reddit
I was on a township planning commission for 3 years in my early 30s and that was all I could take. Never again.
DBDIY4U@reddit
I am a publicly elected member of the board of directors for a special district/local government entity. I used to have higher political aspirations but after seeing how vile and messy something at this level can be I have changed my mind. I am going to see this through because I committed to it and I committed to the voters that I would fight for reform which has happened though there is still work to be done. Of course my situation involved some small town corruption which made the situation more difficult. Myself and other board members have been vilified by the local newspaper whose owner is a friend of former leadership. For a while, the county board of supervisors made arrangements for deputies to provide protection for myself and a couple of the other board members. It has been an eye-opening experience to say the least. I will not go as far as to say I regret stepping into this role but I also am not sure I would run for office if I were to go back in time. I am sure you will do great. I'm sorry if I sounded like one of those derogatory boomers with my comment
amberlicious35@reddit (OP)
Thank you for stepping up and that is truly wild what you’ve dealt with!!!
Thankfully the current Supe has cleaned up a lot of messes and is ready to be the bad guy until 12/31 to push through other necessary things to give me a head start.
DBDIY4U@reddit
Basically I felt like if I didn't do it I had no right to complain and I also felt like it was creating a public safety issue. At risk of doxing myself I don't want to get into more detail in public but if you're really curious I would share more through DM.
typically_wrong@reddit
Apparently the stars are aligning because I just had a talk with my wife about running in next years local election for the same reason.
Rampant corruption and selfish power trips ruining what had been a great area for some time.
At this point I will happily be the squeaky wheel in their evil machine day in and day out.
Corporate-Scum@reddit
Similar experience
boogs34@reddit
Board president of my building. It’s awful.
I personally don’t care about anything but god I feel like I have to enforce the rules because it’s kind of my job. Awful. I won’t do it again.
metmerc@reddit
School Board. I won my election a year ago. Previously, I'd been on the district budget committee for a few years. It's a little surreal at times, but most of the time I don't think too much about it.
Some of the public comments and emails we've received have been...interesting. Being on the "other side" during teacher contract negotiations was eye-opening. Most of the work is pretty mundane, though.
Logical-Cherry9395@reddit
I work for a small, rural water company overseen by a publicly elected board. It's being slowly replaced with younger, but not young, members and the difference is both annoying (because some people really don't care what the law says, they want it dammit) and a relief.
As the IT Admin who replaced a nonagenarian (really) who said cyber security was bunk and a cash grab and no one is going to hack a water company, it was very hard to convince the legacy board members in their late 60s and 70s to give me money so we don't get hacked. The new members are like, She wants 15K to update the network? Let's give her 50K. But, they do cause the rest of the company sheer chaos.
anomalocaris_texmex@reddit
I'm a city manager, so I get to experience local politics from the other side.
I give nothing but credit to my elected mayor and council. They put in a ton of work, get shit on and threatened online, and get blamed for everything other levels of government do. And they still come every week to the evening meeting, sacrificing their free time to do good for the community.
I wish you nothing but the best. The world needs more local politicians in it for the right reasons.
Gullible_Rich_7156@reddit
Former municipal manager here-20 years in various levels of government, 10 as a manager) now in the private sector. You’re absolutely correct that the world needs more local politicians in it for the right reasons, but increasingly, all of the wrong people are getting into it for all of the wrong reasons.
anomalocaris_texmex@reddit
Can't argue there.
I can put up with almost anything from my electeds if they are doing it for the right reasons. Even if they are wrong.
But we get lots who are in it for control, or spite, or as a stepping stone, or for a single issue that's regulated by the province, feds or even the UN.
NewKojak@reddit
From the opposite side of things, people just don’t know what the “right reasons” are. They think that elected office is all about authority and the discretion to realize your righteous ideology. They don’t think enough about volunteerism and no one tells anyone else how to identify and recruit people who have something to offer through their own volunteerism.
We’re all just too self-absorbed.
Gullible_Rich_7156@reddit
^ This…toward the end I dealt with countless local electeds who ran because they wanted their street paved and other ridiculous self centered reasons. Or they would treat local town Facebook page trolling as statistically accurate polling and choose a position on an issue based on that alone.
Gullible_Rich_7156@reddit
What burns me is that 30 years ago people who never would have dreamed of going into politics of any kind because of “skeletons” (criminals, grifters, con artists, racists, misogynists, conspiracy theorists, sexual predators, etc…) are now standing up and saying “PICK ME!!!” It seems that no publicity is bad publicity in the age of social media and reality TV.
amberlicious35@reddit (OP)
Thank you! It certainly wasn’t the plan, the current Supervisor retired from her every day job and wants to actually BE retired and spend time with her grandkids. No one was stepping up and I couldn’t let her hard work go to pot
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
👏👏👏
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
👏👏👏
kronik419@reddit
The 2000 election happened the year before I turned 18. After I saw that I lost all faith in the integrity of American politics. The last thing I voted for was "Freak on a Leash" on T.R.L.
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
When I retire in 14 years, eliminating conflict of interests, I may get in the game.
SpectrumWoes@reddit
I’m a township auditor, we only meet a few times a year and I get paid nothing (I could get like $10/hr for auditor work examining records etc but it would end up being like $40 per year and not worth the paperwork)
I got the position by writing myself in and won with 1 vote
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
shark-exorcist-666@reddit
Commissioner for one of the city departments (appointed). I'm at least keeping a worse person from ruining an important service.
ZipperJJ@reddit
I’m in my third 4-year term on city council in my hometown (pop 13k). I never moved away, was bored and thought the current council was terrible. People thought enough of me to vote for me 3 times now!
I love doing it. I love explaining city government to people. It’s SO important to your daily life. When people get in touch with me and are mad or frustrated usually I can explain to them how things work and they go away satisfied. They just want to be heard and have an honest explanation.
I love all the folks that work for our city. We have a dream team of extremely smart and talented department heads, and their staff is all very passionate and dedicated. They make my job so easy.
Legislation is easy because they all know me and the rest of council and don’t come at us with any bullshit. No secrets, no sneakiness. They know what needs to be done and know how to get it done. They just gotta answer our questions with aplomb and we get it done for them.
My degree was in journalism but I didn’t go in to journalism, I went into IT. But my journalism background has been immensely helpful in that I’m a good communicator and a good interviewer.
Pretty much everyone running our city now is a Gen X or Xennial. You can feel it.
WhiskyStandard@reddit
Closest I’ve come is that I organized the neighborhood when they tried to redistrict a chunk of us into another elementary school and managed to get our Board of Ed member to pull the amendment.
A few people have said “well, maybe you should get more involved in local government” and I say 1) because of my ADD the website about redistricting is still up because I literally can’t make motivate myself to come up with something to replace it with and 2) also because of said ADD I get real down when it seems like people don’t like me, which is par for the course with local politics.
Background-Action-19@reddit
The generation that tripped on acid at Woodstock likes to project their insecurities I guess.
Moto272@reddit
I’m on my HOA board
Okra-Tomatoes@reddit
I'd rather work on roofs in Texas summer than be on an HOA board.
Moto272@reddit
I actually used to do that in Texas. Yeah it sucked.
But the reason I’m on the board is damage control against the retirees with nothing to do but worry about other people’s property.
amberlicious35@reddit (OP)
Bless your heart, I did that once. Never again. I honestly think this will be easier lol
ReplacementAlive4370@reddit
I’m running for county board of education. Never thought I’d be running for office but it feels right.
External-Praline-451@reddit
It might just be because they have more experience than you and know how soul-sucking local politics is and how it affects people! But seriously good for you and thank you for putting yourself out there to better your community. It sounds like if anyone can deal with it, you can. You sound like you've got the right grit and determination 💪
amberlicious35@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much!! Some days are better than others, clearly this post came from a bad day!
My wonderful SIL just said on the phone, “they’re going to be singing a different tune when you’re in there getting shit done!”
KoRaZee@reddit
Public employee for a special district. Involved in design review on improvement projects. Had a high ambition for achieving an elected position but it’s fading away. The degree of cronyism is higher than I expected when transitioning into public employment from private.
oldsmoBuick67@reddit
I sit on my local board of adjustments. Basically if you need an exception to our zoning laws, you appear before that board.
BreakfastBeerz@reddit
I'm an appointed (by the Mayor ) city commissioner, so that's pretty close to politics. I enjoy it, I get to deal with way more angry people than happy people so you e got to have thick skin.
I'm also on the board of directors for our HOA, the meetings can get interesting and I take a lot of abuse on social media.
I'm also on the board of directors for a local historal association. It's an elected position so I'll count it as politics. This is the opposite of the HOA board. The community members I engage with are great, it's the other catty Boomer board members that drive me crazy, they hitch about everything, are terrified of any sort of technology, and think their title entiles them to do whatever they want with no regard to the governing documents.
LaFantasmita@reddit
I've poked into advocacy and sat in on a couple community meetings. I would run for office, but community meetings drain the life out of me. I would lose the will to live if I had to go on a regular basis.
Good on yall for doing it, I appreciate you.
Corporate-Scum@reddit
I served on a city board for ten years and learned a lot about small government. It wasn’t the older generation that gave me problems. They were solid mentors. I struggled with Gen Xers from inherited wealth—social appointees. There were no rules and no protocols they wouldn’t break or bungle. They weren’t intelligent. They weren’t serious. They were a detriment in many ways. I served my terms and stepped away from that community. They’re still there, stifling more talented and better capable people.
NotanotherRealtor@reddit
Past chair of my city’s chamber of commerce. Just ended a 3 year term, which was supposed to be a 2 year term and everyone wanted me to stay.
Open council seat in my district last year and I threw my name in the hat. The council votes on the open seat because it was mid-term. Went to a woman whose father is in the State house.
I’ve backed way off from all of the time I have given the city and deciding whether to actually run for my council seat next year when the seat becomes open and goes to district voters.
Also, I think you’re just experiencing Boomer mentality. They know you’re capable, but they have to say their two cents because they are always right.
Gullible_Rich_7156@reddit
OP-I’m guessing that no one is trying to discourage you because of the work-rather they’re probably referring to the fact that local politics has become as vile and nasty national politics. When I started in government 20 years ago we would always talk about how it “wasn’t Washington” and “we don’t do that here.” Unfortunately that’s no longer true in many cases.
amberlicious35@reddit (OP)
Probably. We currently work really well together, even when we disagree and I pray that continues.
Gullible_Rich_7156@reddit
I don’t mean to discourage you myself but a big part of getting out (I was never elected-only ever a staffer/appointed manager) was the crazies who I worked for. I now work in the water/wastewater utility industry so I’m still very connected to local government but very glad to be out of it.
NewKojak@reddit
I'm involved, and also like it a lot, but I'm kind of frustrated for opposite reasons.
Boomers are... well... they're gonna be who we all know them to be. Fortunately, most of the administrative leadership in my schools, village, and park districts have all turned over, so there are a ton of younger trustees who set the tone. So my heart goes out to you if you're getting condescended to.
We do have a lot of x-ers though around town who mistake having an opinion with doing politics. So I spend a lot of time trying to coach people I agree with to do things like, go talk to the people they voted for. I understand people's frustration. That part is easy. Getting people to demonstrate some solidarity is hard.
amberlicious35@reddit (OP)
Thank you for this! We’re starting the turnover, but currently 3 on the Board are over 65 and only 2 of us are not. The apathy in our small town is astounding (not like it’s only here!).
The School Board is also slowly shifting to under 60.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
Agreee!
C_est_la_vie9707@reddit
Yes. You can DM me if you want.
Li-RM35M4419@reddit
Thing is, boomers love to ask questions then totally ignore your answer. So answer all you want when they ask but they already tuned you out.
katie_cat_eyes@reddit
My husband is currently on our town’s council, elected last year! It’s been an absolute trip! I don’t know how he does it! Someone needs a stop sign? He’s there. Then there are people who show up just to cause a ruckus.
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
Yes they do. A lot of DebbieDowners or DoubtyPoutys in the older gen, which just means they cant do it.
InvestmentMain8414@reddit
Thought about running for my area of what I guess the US calls county. Had more than enough people tell me to run before the thought even entered my mind.
Many long talks with my husband about his feelings,and what is expected of him. I was all set to run in next years election.
But we care for an inlaw, who had a stroke after the decision to run was made. I am choosing not to run, because I know I can't maintain my job, being a caregiver, and taking a council position. One or all of them will suffer.
I wish you well with your campaign. Let me know how it goes. I love knowing that Im not the only person our age who has an interest in running local.
thoughtfractals85@reddit
Good on you! I am not made for things like that. I'll gladly help out, but I'd rather have a kidney stone than be a politician.
geekgirlwww@reddit
I’m the tell me where to be and what to bring child in my family let alone be entrusted with real responsibilities.