"80% of success is showing up." - Woody Allen

It could be that Englewood is entering a new, disturbing phase of governance and decisionmaking.

Case in point: recent City Council meetings, like that on Dec 11, have become raucous, packed gatherings of organized, vocal people demanding one particular outcome for one particular person -- that acting Chief of Police Arthur O'Keefe be immediately replaced by previously suspended Chief David Bowman.  Mayor Michael Wildes has apparently seen that it is to his advantage, if not the City's, to play to the assembled crowd and up the level of divisiveness, discord, passion and confrontation in the overcrowded room.  So far,  the Council majority remains calm and unintimidated by the Mayor and the crowd.

However, if you are one of Englewood's silent citizens who does not attend meetings and remains at home, you risk being left out in the cold having little or no say on decisions concerning your quality of life, how taxes are spent and who gets public jobs and contracts.   Leaving decisionmakers alone to confront an organized and hostile crowd leaves the impression that only those who bothered to show up and intimidate them care about the decisions about to be made.
 
If you haven't taken Woody's observation to heart, rest assured others have. And, as usual, whatever happens,  you will be writing the checks and living with the consequences.

The next Council meeting is 8 pm, December 18 in the Municipal Court Building. 73 South Van Brunt St.