A Community Responds
Yesterday's Civic Capacity Is Seen as "Throwing Gasoline on a Fire"
Yesterday’s edition of the Civic Capacity newsletter highlighted a pre-annexation agreement between the developers of land soon to be annexed by the City of Huber Heights and the City itself. The goal of yesterday’s Civic Capacity was to help citizens understand this public agreement that will be voted on later tonight.
As yesterday’s work was widely read and shared, some city officials in Huber Heights expressed concerns about the newsletter's approach, particularly noting that I did not reach out to anyone from the City of Huber Heights for their perspective.
To clarify, I am not a journalist and have never claimed to be one. There are institutions dedicated to training journalists, which I did not attend. My expertise comes from a different background. While contacting city officials might have added another dimension to the piece, I have reservations based on my own experiences. Government officials often prioritize their narratives over documented facts. Actions, in my opinion, speak louder than words, and frankly, I trust my interpretation of public records over potentially biased explanations.
Why should I trust myself?
My intent was to review the available public records, interpret them, and share my observations. My qualifications to discuss what is happening include six years of study at Wright State University, earning two degrees in local government, and extensive experience as both an elected official and an appointed bureaucrat. I have a deep understanding of local government operations.
It’s also interesting that these claims of throwing “gasoline on a fire” came after this particular piece, as if this work is a Johnny-come-lately to this contentious annexation. Civic Capacity has been following this story ever since this publication was started last May, and yesterday’s newsletter was the ninth edition devoted completely and solely to this annexation. It’s not like this publication has come on the scene out of nowhere to talk about Bethel Township or Huber Heights. Nothing could be further from the truth, in fact this publication has done what many public officials don’t want the public to do — pay close attention and think critically about the issues at hand.
Civic Capacity was created to educate residents about the decision-making processes in their communities. Throughout my career, I've learned that there are few platforms for residents to engage with and understand these decisions; the loss of local media hasn’t helped. The purpose of Civic Capacity is to inform, inspire, and involve the community, providing clear and contextual explanations of local government actions without the interference of bias or emotional manipulation.
We believe that residents deserve to be informed about the significant decisions made by their local governments. Civic Capacity aims to facilitate these discussions in an honest and straightforward manner. Additionally, we welcome diverse viewpoints and encourage those who disagree with my perspectives to contribute. If someone wishes to submit a guest editorial, they are welcome to do so. And unlike a newspaper, this publication will publish other’s thoughts and ideas without word count limitations. All we ask is that the tone remains civil.
Thanks for reading today’s Civic Capacity Newsletter! Please feel free to share this information with your friends and neighbors.
Also, please consider subscribing to our work. If you are a free subscriber, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. For less than $1 a week, you can get timely and conversational updates about the decisions that are impacting you and your community!
Finally, our reader survey for July is looking for responses! Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on your hometown! You can access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PF6SPPN