Emma LaPointe and Bryn Murphy – Manzanita City Reporters
Delegates Naomi Capaldi, Miranda Medlen-Ursell, Trinity Ragland, Amanda Wolford, and Emma LaPointe are sworn in as Mayor and the four city councilwomen.
Manzanita City held their first general election. First an election board was formed, which then ran the ballot casting process and ensured the absence of voter fraud. It was important to Manzanita citizens to hold a free and fair election.
Delegate Amanda Wolford says “the process allowed us to better understand what it’s like to vote and run for election. It really shows what it takes to be an active member of the community and its government.”
The delegates had to listen to all of their fellow citizens’ speeches and aspirations for the city, and were then given the task of deciding who they believed would be the best fits for their city.
Now that the elections have concluded, Manzanita City has a newly appointed Mayor and City Council members, who have been hard at work appointing their fellow citizens in jobs to better the community.
Some of these roles include Budget Director, and the Judge and Librarians for the city. While some may see these roles as insignificant, they are very important in setting the foundations of the community and creating a strong foundation.
However, a major struggle that the city had is trying to give everyone positions without overwhelming them. While most cities consist of around 20 delegates, the city of Manzanita has 15.
While this may seem like a setback, in Manzanita’s own words, they are “small but mighty.” The city is working hard to keep ahead of schedule and to keep pushing through, and we are excited to see what the “smallest city” has in store for the rest of the week!