EDITOR:

I am writing in reference to the Oct. 30, 2021 Daily Press article “City leadership, millages on Nov. 2 ballot” and specifically to the statement “If elected Tuesday, this will be the first time Pontius has joined the commission through the democratic process.”

I would like to clarify for the record that I (“Pontius”) did not seize a seat on the Gladstone City Commission by military coup nor by any kind of “undemocratic” means, as might be surmised from the article’s choice of wording. My wife read those words and at first glance thought it indicated some kind of skulduggery (rather than a simple distinction between “appointed” and “elected”).

Even though it is true that I was appointed by the Commission to fill a vacant seat and did not win the seat in an open election (as I hope to do now), the proper “democratic” process was in fact followed, and even more rigorously than required. A competitive written public application process with 6 candidates was completed; followed by a public ranking of applications by the seated commissioners at the next commission meeting; followed at the next meeting by public speeches by each of the 6 candidates; followed by a public vote by the 4 seated commissioners, resulting, finally, in my appointment to the Commission in May.

For more information about why I am seeking election and what I stand for, please visit my campaign website at www.votepontius.org (especially “platform”) or check out the League of Women Voters site at www.vote411.org. I would also like to encourage every legal voter to please, Please, no matter which candidates you favor, in Gladstone or not, vote on Tuesday, Nov. 2 – local elections matter!

Robert Pontius

Gladstone