South Lyon City Council 2011

South Lyon City Council must replace a deceased councilperson. The remaining 5 had voted to not replace the councilperson late in July. (I won a nickel on that bet.) The South Lyon Herald reported early in August that the vote violated the City Charter. If the position wasn't filled, the governor could appoint someone. The day I read that, I saw two men in suits inspecting the railroad track. I asked if the men were with CXS. "No," the man in the tie said, "We're with the city." We chatted some, I said I'd read the city council position was to be filled, and mentioned I had just been at city hall, getting some broken sidewalk repaired (a neighbor had tripped, broken her jaw and wrist). It was fixed in zippy time, and I told them I was impressed. One man said "why don't you run for City Council?" "No, thanks," I said. But darn, if I didn't take my 92-degreed soaking self right on to city hall and pick up petition paperwork. The deadline for signatures was Aug. 23rd. We were leaving town on Aug. 11th and not back until after the deadline. I turned in the paperwork the night before we left. "You only have two signatures as a buffer," the City Clerk said, after lining out the folks outside the city proper. "It is what it is," I said. I made the ballot. Yesterday, I get a letter notifying me that Oakland County wants $10 late filing fee from me, though. I canceled the order for my one and only campaign shirt on which I'd put a $10 deposit yesterday, in case I decide to give Oakland County $10 it apparently needs more than I do. The junk mail is rolling in, too. All to the home address rather than my post office box, because Oakland County can't follow mailing directions any better than the post office (who forwarded my mail north unasked.) League of Women Voters wants to know why I'm running, by Sept. 16 or suffer a DID NOT RESPOND IN TIME FOR INCLUSION note after my name on their website. I totally forgot about how public public campaigns are. Now I'm wondering whether it's worth handing over $10, which at this point is about 60% of my net worth, to Oakland County. What are the consequences? Will Dad bring me dark chocolate in jail? Shall I surrender my privacy, my good humor and my sensibilities for a position that may not be as positively impactful as me operating on my own as an interested citizen? Is there $10 of grist for the writer's mill in this? What the hell happens if I get elected, an unlikely, but possible event? Stay tuned...