On December 7, close to 40 potential Metro Council candidates gathered with DFA Nashville for a presentation on running for the council. Former Councilman Stewart Clifton spoke to the crowd, going over the decision-making process many are going through as they decide whether or not to throw their hats in the ring.

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Stewart told the group that these races keep starting earlier and earlier. One of the first tasks of running for council is to scare off potential opponents - through visibility, fundraising, and getting endorsements early. And, above all, Stewart says, "get in the race to win, but you have to be okay with losing". Stewart added some other sage advice: "Family and friends make a huge commitment and sacrifice for you - not giving it your all is not fair to those who work for you to win". "But of course not everyone can win, so if losing will crush your spirit, perhaps politics isn’t for you". On fundraising, Stewart said, "some money is definitely needed to win, but can be overcome with hard work. Many moderately funded candidates have won and many well financed candidates have lost".

Stewart also asked the attendees to think about several important questions to gauge whether or not they were ready for the challenge of running and the work of being a council member. They included:

* Is your family willing for you to run?
* Is your employer willing for you to run?
* Will you commit yourself to winning?
* Can you find the right key persons to help you?
* Can you get and stay organized?
* Will you enjoy the council if you win?

Stewart also said that, more important than individual issues, developing relationships is the key to success. "Above all", he said taking the adage from Boss Crump, “plan your work and work your plan.”

After an extensive q&a session by Stewart, Carol McCullough of the Neighborhood Resource Center then spoke to talk to attendees about how candidates can connect with neighborhood groups. Carol also provided a lot of information about the issues neighborhood groups face and that the Council will be faced with in the coming term detailed in their booklet "The Future of Neighborhoods: A Vision for the Future of Nashville and Davidson County". Carol advised prospective Council members, "when working with neighborhood groups, show people the ropes; don’t always fix the problem for them - teach them about how government works so they can take care of issues and problems for themselves".

Thanks to Stewart Clifton and Carol McCullough for giving excellent, informative presentations on how local government works and how to be effective in it as a public servant. Also, thanks to our volunteers who helped put on a great event on short notice. And, most importantly, special thanks go to the average citizens who came out for the Workshop to find out more. Whether they actually decide to make the leap and run for office or not, we are glad that so many people are interested in making Nashville a better place to live, work, and play.

Originally posted by Tom Cash at www.DemocracyForNashville.com.