Survey Responders Weigh In On Elected Officials

By Eliza Hallabeck

With newly elected and reelected government officials sworn into office Sunday, November 27, The Newtown Bee asked readers to respond to an online survey this past week on how important it is for officials to speak for the public or act upon their own judgments.

The unofficial and unscientific survey was available online from Wednesday, November 23, until Tuesday, November 29.

Eighty-eight people responded to the survey, and just over 44 percent said, “It is very important that elected officials listen and advocate for the voters,” while just over 40 percent said it is important that elected officials both listen and advocate for voters while using their own judgment in given situations. Only 4.5 percent of responders said, “It is very important that elected officials use their judgment in given situations.”

One responder commented on the question, “They are representatives of the people, so they need to ask the people what the community needs and desires and where effective use of tax dollars should go. At times they will need to act alone, but it should always be based on up to date info, laws, and policies. They should have the laws and policies stated next to their decisions so all may now why and how next steps will be taken and at what costs.”

Another responder said, “It is important that elected officials use their best judgment to balance current and long-term benefits for all townspeople.”

Following the first multiple choice question, the survey went on to ask, “In what situation (if any) do you believe it is best for an elected official to take an assessment of their constituents’ viewpoints and act accordingly, and how should that be done?” and, “In what situation (if any) do you believe it is best for an elected official to use their own judgment?” in open-ended format.

To the question, “In what situation (if any) do you believe it is best for an elected official to take an assessment of their constituents viewpoints and act accordingly, and how should that be done?,” responders ranged in opinion on situations and some provided a way for officials to asses their constituents opinions.

“I believe elected officials take an assessment of their constituents’ viewpoints at the annual town referendum, but it is difficult to ‘act accordingly.’ Each referendum costs money and the results are often unclear. Does ‘no’ mean the budget is too high or too low? Let’s get our money’s worth out of our referendum by asking unbiased and more detailed questions,” the responder said.

Another said, “All actions should be on behalf of the voters, not personal preferences. Public participation and interaction should be frequent and not limited.”

And another said, “Their assessments should be brought to the attention of the people. They have a duty to bring issues to our attention and offer their expert opinion — I would like to see the elected officials involve the community more by doing this in a plain speak way with out all of the politicking involved. When the election is over move to representing the people in their actions and informing the people to help them make decisions in the best interest of the community as a whole. If mistakes are made we can learn from them and move forward together to strengthen and improve.”

To the question, “In what situation (if any) do you believe it is best for an elected official to use their own judgment?” responders answers ranged from emergency situations to “day-to-day situations” and from legal matters to personnel disputes.

One said, “A well-informed elected official who has done the work of engaging many community voices in discussions and who is an honest and active listener who purposely seeks out those with differing thoughts and feelings will often be able to craft an understanding of what actions serve the greater good of the community. Our representative democracy form of government assumes that those elected will use their judgment in service of the people they are elected to represent. Most issues are broad and do not reflect the needs/wishes of a narrow constituency. In those very rare cases, an elected official is justified in being the ‘voice’ of that small constituency.”

Another responder said, “Based on what the people have already established through the Bee’s [letters to the editor], voting, social media, the officials should have a finger on the pulse of not only who they agree with but others who feel differently. With this knowledge, in times of emergencies, or needed rapid responses, then the officials would understandably need to act on their own, but laws and policies need to be printed up with their decisions so that folks understand what the actions were based on (shortly after needed action, within a month, depending on said emergency).”

“In most all situations,” another responder wrote, “an elected official is more informed than the public and can act in the best interest of the entire town. The most vocal of the constituents are advocating for themselves and not necessarily the majority.”

A link to the full survey results is available online with this story at www.newtownbee.com.

A new survey on holiday shopping and where local deals can be found will be open for responders from Thursday, December 1, to Tuesday, December 6.