Will your candidate be ready when egrets come? Why there’s more to voting than policy | Opinion

Jared Williams ran for City Council full of ideas to improve neighborhoods, spur development and reduce crime.

One that he did not have, however, was how to deal with a sudden infestation of a federally protected migratory bird.

In a recent interview with our Editorial Board, Williams recalled how, in his first few weeks representing southwest Fort Worth’s District 6, he had to learn everything he could about egrets.

Once the birds nest — which about 300 of them did in one constituent’s yard, Williams said — it’s illegal to disturb them.

The entire neighborhood needed significant help with the, um, mess the birds left. The city worked to find ways to drive egrets to other nesting sites without harming them.

“I’m so proud of the way we partnered with our residents, who were citizen-researchers” along with state and federal wildlife agencies and other elected officials, Williams said. The issue has been an annual nuisance for parts of North Texas. And while Williams is an extraordinarily bright fellow, in this case, he had a lot to learn.

“It’s important to have a certain level of humility in this job about what we don’t know … [and] to have an experience and skill-set to be able to understand novel issues and to work with various stakeholders.”

The story points to undervalued parts of our politics and elections: judgment, temperament and the ability to lead with grace when the unexpected comes along.

When you vote — as you should in Saturday’s elections for municipalities and school boards — you’re not selecting just a list of policy positions. You’re hiring someone to negotiate difficult choices, deal straight with camps with different agendas and respond in times of crisis or surprise.

Sometimes, organizations and political groups that assemble “slates” reduce candidates to a pile of policy positions. These matter greatly, especially in a time when we’re so split on so many basic issues. But they are not everything.

For our recommendations in this election cycle, we interviewed nearly 40 candidates across 18 Fort Worth-area races. It’s always a gratifying exercise; almost everyone who runs for local office does so with a heart for service and a goal of improving his or her community. We learn about issues within neighborhoods and school districts, and we meet interesting people with stories to share.

We do this, though, for readers. Few voters have time in their busy lives to dig into their local politics. We have the ability and access to do so, and we do it on your behalf. We study candidate qualifications and policy positions and ask if they match the characteristics and needs of those they would represent.

We make recommendations, and it’s up to you to take or leave them. We try to make a case for each candidate we choose while still reflecting on the best traits of the others. Generally, we favor experience — successful candidates are usually those who have been involved in a city or school district through service on boards or committees. But sometimes, an outsider’s perspective is needed.

Another factor has increased in importance recently: candidates running for the office they actually seek. Too many want to campaign generally on national or state issues that local officials can’t affect much.

Or they campaign in generalities. We heard candidates, over and over again, vow not to “defund the police.” We oppose that, too, but there is no serious risk of Fort Worth cutting a dime from law enforcement. We have nearly a decade to go on the voters’ latest approval of a half-cent sales tax to supplement anti-crime spending.

Let’s talk instead about using the considerable resources devoted to police better — and maybe even saving money in the process. No bureaucracy, including law enforcement, is without waste.

This election has seen another uptick in alignment with national parties or political identities. The trickle-down from our severe polarization is inevitable at this point, but even those who consider themselves strong Republicans or Democrats (or conservatives and progressives, if you like) can maintain Fort Worth’s tradition of working together on what’s best for the city.

Each of them will probably encounter their own version of Williams’ egret dilemma. Think about who you want in office when feathers get ruffled.

Ryan J. Rusak

Opinion Contributor,

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

817-390-7015

Ryan J. Rusak is opinion editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He grew up in Benbrook and is a TCU graduate. He spent more than 15 years as a political journalist, overseeing coverage of four presidential elections and several sessions of the Texas Legislature. He writes about Fort Worth/Tarrant County politics and government, along with Texas and national politics, education, social and cultural issues, and occasionally sports, music and pop culture. Rusak, who lives in east Fort Worth, was recently named Star Opinion Writer of the Year for 2024 by Texas Managing Editors, a news industry group.