Letter: Voting no for ward voting in Marion

Public Measure F on the ballot asks voters if they want to change the way we elect our ward representatives.

Our current system has worked for our city for 40 years. It's not broken; why mess with it?

We have a good system. Ward representatives are nominated by their own respective wards, but elected by all voters of the city. This guarantees that all wards are represented while making it less likely that city council members will care only about their own area. Our council members should care about what happens in the entire city, not just one ward. And they should be accountable to all voters.

If the measure passes, all Marion voters will lose the right to vote for three council members. In addition, the Marion Independent School District, which is located almost entirely in one ward, will lose representation because the representatives of the three other wards will not be accountable to voters in that district. Changing our city charter requires much more consideration and careful thought as it may result in unintended consequences and division in our city. Marion is one town. Let's keep it that way.

Jeanne Matthews

Marion