Waynesboro leaders to host discussion on local elections

Waynesboro city leaders to launch a community conversation this month about the future of local elections.

In a joint letter on behalf of the Waynesboro City Council and the Waynesboro School Board, Mayor Terry Short Jr. and School Board Chairman Rick Wheeler state: “There’s something unsettling about modern day civic participation – in our nation, state, and in our city – especially on Election Day. For several years, Waynesboro has witnessed a steady decline in voter participation. This May, in one city ward, only 184 out of 2,400 registered citizens voted. We want to talk to residents about the future of local elections. Something has changed and we feel a community conversation will help us identify and examine the steps that we might take to improve voter turnout, and more broadly, civic participation.”

A public presentation and open house will be held on Monday, October 29th in the cafeteria at Kate Collins Middle School, 1625 Ivy St., from 6 pm until 7:30 pm.

There will be a brief presentation, a review of comprehensive voter trend data, a discussion of the alternatives being considered, and the opportunity to provide direct feedback to elected officials.