John Clark carries on activist mission
The Columbia activist is running for First Ward council seat.
Published Nov. 2, 2007
Columbia activist John Clark formulated a 25-year plan to fulfill his public mission. He decided his mission was to engage citizens in public decision-making, and since 1993, he has devoted himself to community organizations, boards and commissions.
After two runs for mayor against Mayor Darwin Hindman in 2004 and 2007, Clark is now a candidate for Columbia City Council in the First Ward along with Karen Baxter and Paul Sturtz. Three other candidates have announced intentions to run, including incumbent councilwoman Almeta Crayton, but they have yet to file paperwork.
Clark said he knows the issues and where he stands on them, and he doesn't shy away from letting others know where that is.
"I'm hoping all the people I've worked with over 15 years are going to go to the polls and vote for me, and maybe someone will say something out loud," Clark said. "But in the end, I'm interested in serving. I mean, I've been serving for 15 years. This is not about starting. I've been doing council-level work from the outside, now I want to do council-level work from the inside. Part of doing that and part of being effective is my level of understanding."
Clark's platform for the First Ward is almost identical to his platform when he ran for mayor in April. But now, he said, he has made it more specific to the First Ward.
Among issues he wants to address are providing affordable housing for low to low-middle income families, preserving historic Columbia neighborhoods and supporting and expanding Columbia boards, commissions and neighborhood associations.
"There's an enormous number of things where the decisions should be made by the people who are affected," Clark said. "I'd like to see, by the end of my first three years, every square inch of the First Ward be represented by a neighborhood association, because neighborhood associations are a primary tool for engaging citizens in the public decision making that affects their lives."
As when he ran for mayor, Clark is campaigning to make the council more concerned with developing policy for City Manager Bill Watkins and the city staff rather than micro-managing specific projects. He said the council is already moving in that direction, but right now the council is too divided to provide a specific direction for the city staff.
"The council needs to have a consistent approach in order to guide and support Bill Watkins and the staff," Clark said. "At this point in time, the council is divided, leading to inconsistent guidance and support of the staff. We need a majority that's going to be there, aimed in a general direction of policy-making for two years for Bill to feel comfortable in being a city manager who is supporting and educating the council rather than guiding and leading the council."
The fact that five or six people might be running in the First Ward is terrific for citizen involvement and for his chances to win, Clark said. But he said his work in the First Ward qualifies him for a council seat much more than any other candidate.
"With 15 years of service to this ward, I have the knowledge, the background and the persistence," Clark said. "I can effectively represent the First Ward the day I'm sworn in. And actually, none of the other candidates, including Almeta Crayton, can do that."