Neighborhood Mentality

I should remind you that the elections for the Town of Gilbert are coming up; in fact, if you are voting early, the deadline for early ballots is Friday. I would love to see more participation in our local elections, as those folks make decisions that affect Gilbert residents on a daily basis.

Perhaps this reporter was looking for a new angle in covering the candidates, but the AZ Republic points out that all the candidates live in north Gilbert:

The nine candidates for Gilbert Town Council have at least one thing in common: None of them lives south of Warner Road.

Take a look at a town map and you would see that means nobody from the southern two-thirds of town entered Tuesday's primary election.

Gilbert council members are elected at large, which means they represent the town as a whole.

The article goes on to point out that the candidates are all long-term residents; so for those of us who have lived here a while, it makes sense that they would live in north Gilbert - there hasn't been a south Gilbert for very long. I don't really give a fig where they live, as long as it's in Gilbert, but the thing that's notable to me is their descriptions of WHY they live in their current neighborhoods:

Regardless of their ZIP codes, many of the candidates were thinking about much more than politics when they decided to make Gilbert their home.

Several said their decision to live in Gilbert was based on family, friends and finding a house that matched their needs.

Considering four candidates have lived in town for at least 20 years and that none of the nine candidates has called Gilbert home for less than a decade, it is to be expected that they live in older neighborhoods and share a sense of community pride.

Abbott, who has lived in Gilbert for 20 years, explained her favorite reasons for living in her community.

"The two things I enjoy most about my neighborhood are that we have great neighbors who are committed to the integrity of our HOA," she said. "My neighborhood is unique in that each home is different, the landscaping has mature pecan trees that are decades old, and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxing."

Cress-Sweet said her neighbors, who strike the perfect balance between "caring" and "non-intrusive," make her appreciate living in Gilbert.

Farnsworth said having neighbors he could count on makes his community special.

"I love living in my neighborhood because I have neighbors who are great friends," Farnsworth said. "They are always willing to help each other no matter what comes up."

I'm glad that community is a high priority to the folks interested in governing Gilbert, because it's a high priority to me.

Remember to vote.