Opinion: District 3 City Council Race is an Important One

BY BRANDY TUZON BOYD
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

Publisher’s note: Which candidates will be on the ballot for the November 2014 runoff race has not been determined.

Brandy Tuzon Boyd, NatomasBuzz.com Publisher

Remapping Natomas was hotly debated when the city underwent redistricting in 2011.

In the end, District One was divided into three parts: District Three reached from Interstate 80 south, east of Interstate 5 and along the East Levee Canal, encompassing Gardenland/Northgate corridor and most South Natomas neighborhoods, the River Oaks community was added to District Four while the rest remained District One.

By all accounts, the “new” District Three got lucky with seasoned politician Councilman Steve Cohn at the helm. Cohn was first elected to the City Council in 1994 and re-elected to a record fifth term in June 2010.

Cohn didn’t skip a beat familiarizing himself with his new constituents and the issues important to them. He tapped long-ignored funding to revitalize South Natomas parks, helped spearhead the return of the Celebrate Natomas! community festival, and worked closely with District One representative Mayor Pro Tem Angelique Ashby and others to combat a divided Natomas some feared would result from redistricting.

This Election Day, Cohn has decided to run for state Assembly and now there are seven candidates vying for his City Council seat. The candidates point to community activism and volunteer stints they say will help them represent such a diverse council district if elected; two even hail from Gardenland/Northgate and south Natomas themselves.

One thing is clear after reading our eight-part Q & A series leading up to Election Day, this election is an important one. Whomever is elected to represent District Three for the next four years will be challenged not only by geography, but by the specific needs of all the neighborhoods within its boundaries. And without Cohn’s experience – and connections – the learning curve will be steep for any one of these political hopefuls.

If a single candidate fails to fetch 51 percent or more of the vote, a runoff will be held in November. Residents of District Three have a chance to help shape the community’s future at the polls on Tuesday – be sure to vote!

Polling places will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and if you are in line when the polls close, you will be allowed to vote. To locate your voting place, click here.