Organization continues push to change ward system

Citizens for Equity in Government, a local group organized to make sure every citizen has a voice in city government, will continue its efforts to educate voters and get petitions signed supporting the change to a pure ward system of government in Hickory on Saturday at 10 a.m.

The group will meet with volunteers for an information and phone-banking session at the Hickory Annex (Old Grandview Middle School) at 737 12th St., SW. Callers will tell voters about the petition for fair representation which requests that Hickory’s method of electing City Council representatives be put to a vote of the people.

In 1970, the City of Hickory changed from a pure ward system to a modified “at-large” or blended system for City Council elections. Each of the six wards nominates two candidates in a primary election, and those two candidates then run city-wide to represent the ward.

Citizens for Equity insists that this at-large system goes against the concept of fair representation by allowing voters outside a ward to influence the outcome of elections in wards where they do not live.

The pure ward system allows for the mayor to be elected by a city-wide vote, but council members are elected only by the wards they represent. Citizens for Equity suggests this promotes close ties between ward representatives and constituents, provides immediate service and direct accountability to voters, and eliminates voting blocks.

It also says the pure ward system has been shown to increase citizen participation in voting and in running for office.

Citizens for Equity believes voters feel disenfranchised with the current system because they are not the people choosing their ward representative. Candidates are forced to fund expensive city-wide campaigns that put the possibility of running for office out of reach of many potential candidates. And, polls must be open on election day for all six wards for every city-council race under the current system; polls in the pure ward system would be open for only half the wards each election cycle which would cut government spending.

Citizens for Equity was founded to work on behalf of minorities, the working poor, students, senior citizens, and all other disenfranchised citizens in the Hickory area. It’s goal is to ensure participation and representation in the establishment of public policy, according to a news release from the organization.

The Saturday session is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about the pure ward system and supporting the petition.

Contact Citizens for Equity in Government at 828-308-4669.