Fostering a Stronger and more Inclusive Community
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please feel free to submit any letters to the editor on topics of interest or concern. Your voices are an integral part of our community dialogue, and we look forward to hearing from you.
Dear Neighbors,
I hope this letter finds you well. As a concerned member of our community, I am writing to express my views on certain practices observed during recent elections for the OVA Board. It is my sincere hope that you will consider these points as you make your choices for the Board moving forward.
Firstly, I urge the candidates to cease making false promises during election campaigns in order to secure votes. Such practices not only undermine the integrity of the electoral process but also erode the trust that residents have in our leadership. Let us uphold transparency and honesty as fundamental principles guiding our interactions with the community.
Secondly, I implore the candidates to refrain from questioning the character of opponents during campaigns. Engaging in personal attacks detracts from the issues at hand and creates unnecessary animosity within our community. Instead, let us focus on discussing policies, visions, and plans for the betterment of our community. Furthermore, it is essential that candidates refrain from using slogans such as “I’ve done so much, let me finish the job I’ve started” as part of their campaign rhetoric. While past achievements should be acknowledged, elections should be about presenting new ideas and strategies for the future, rather than resting solely on past accomplishments.
In terms of fiscal responsibility, I believe it is imperative that we elect candidates who demonstrate empathy towards our neighbors who are on tight fixed incomes. Our community is diverse, and we must ensure that decisions made by the Board take into account the financial well-being of all residents, particularly those who may be more vulnerable.
Lastly, I encourage candidates to prioritize the maintenance and enhancement of existing facilities over embarking on new and extremely costly improvement projects. While progress is important, we must strike a balance between innovation and practicality, ensuring that our resources are allocated wisely to benefit the entire community.
In conclusion, I trust that the OVA Board of Directors will take these suggestions into consideration as you work towards fostering a stronger and more inclusive community. By upholding integrity, respect, and fiscal prudence, we can ensure that our community continues to thrive for generations to come. Thank you for your attention to these matters.
Sincerely,
Gregory Goodwin
Thanks. The current campaign would be improved if all candidates followed your advice. As to not making promises can I presume you mean for specific things, like new facilities or limited dues increases? There is one promise I think every candidate should make. A promise to hold a member vote on discretionary projects above a certain amount would buttress community support in the future whatever direction we decide to take.
Agreeing with Lyn, but stating it more broadly: I think that any candidate running for the Board should be willing to use some mechanism to seek approval for major projects from ALL OVA members. The only such mechanisms that I can think of are broad surveys, that put a questionnaire on every doorstep (so to speak), OVA membership referenda as part of the long-term planning process, and membership votes such as the type Lyn proposes.
Simply put, the incumbent and former Board members who are running this year have consistently rejected all of these mechanisms over the years of their Board service. We need new blood on the Board, who will not just listen to the membership, but who will seek out and abide by the membership will on large discretionary projects. If you agree with me on this, then ask any candidate you are contemplating voting for to commit to doing so before voting for him/her.
Thank you Oakmont Observer (OO) for continuing to keep us Oakmonters up to date on important happenings and events in our community. And for giving all residents a platform to voice their opinions.
Yvonne Frauenfelder
Greg Goodwins comments are on the mark.
Voting is a personal matter for each OVA member. Making that informed decision should be based on the results of open debate, available understandable data, and a reasonable expectation of promises made. As voters, we decide on which candidates we hope will best fill the fiduciary requirements of the office and those candidates who will more closely match our own standards for the future of Oakmont. Stress should not be a part of voting.
The 2/21/24 candidate forum did provide some information about the candidates governing policies and future plans that included the announcement by current OVA board members of an apparent “redefining of the timing” for any major proposed projects. That change was especially puzzling (but welcome) in spite of the “expedited” format to design and price a project that may not be built for 10 years or more. That timing change along with the budgeting and use of the CIF (Capital Improvement Fund) would seem to require further discussion.
Finally, the high level of interest in the 2024 election could lead to a positive change in the OVA’s vision of governing, and in doing so, allow the Management Team to manage more efficiently without undue influence of board members and/or by some committee decisions that have narrowed the communication lines between the current governing process and the majority of the Oakmont membership.
John MacInnis – Oakmont
*Fiduciary Duty: A duty to act for someone else’s benefit while subordinating one’s personal interest to that of the other person is the highest standard of duty implied by law.