Filling The Cabinet By: Mark Stelter, Itasca Bank & Trust What If Anf nobody thoughty Election Was Held AndNobody


Showed Up...To Run? Plenty of voters, but no candidates? Can you imagine? No Donald Trump, no Hillary Clinton,


y they hady interest, to run for office.r nobody the time, energy, or mayber


y — because the


Surely, that would never happenr


as there is too much at stake in running an entire country. Decisions about budgets, how to keep the population living in a safe environment, improving the quality ofy other importantr


f life, and considerations, all factor intor would have an interest in running for office.r


importance to the local constituency. Aren’t we most concerned about what is happening in our ownr Our schools,r


backyards? taxes? So if theref


roads, and the level of is so much at stake


and all politics are local, don’t we expect qualified candidates to run for office? Shouldn’t we also expect the same for the community associations y


y r


why someoney Consider ther


old phrase “all politics is local” most often associated with former Speaker for winningr


r of the House, Tip O’Neill, and his strategy elections based on highlighting issues of upmostf


a budget, governing documents, and social issues that need to be addressed. However, somehow, in the most local of all politics— that is, the community associations


y of each week dealingk in which we


live— weseemto be seeing a disturbing trend when it comes to recruiting qualified, or evenr run for ther


lost count on how many timesy still searching for someoner


r


as though somehow it was on par withr r


board. As someone who spends a substantial part with community associations, I have I have heard the phrase “we are to fill that position on the board,” finding someone to


semi-qualified, candidates to y


eat the Christmas fruitcake Aunt Irma brought. Yet, on a regular basis,


r


the financial investment nearest and dearest to our hearts.r Where does this apathy and/ory


originate? Why arey


“Apathy is a sort of living oblivion.” — Horace Greeley


community associations a microcosm of ourf


counties, states, and the country asy a whole? Consider ther


where we live? Aren’t r own towns,


in size, each community association has a diverse populace,


similarities: Whether small, medium y


18 | COMMON INTEREST® medium, or larger large or carr f seemingly responsibley r other non-profitr


are written or accounts debited for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollarsf


r lack ofk enthusiasmf people who


raise families, earn degrees, participate in the workforce, and volunteer forr


y


run for ar board position at “home?” On my journeyy


association industry highway, I have heard a myriad of reasonsf lack ofk


f participation in the electoral


process. Some of themore humorous include the lack ofk af generous benefits package such as an expense account


such as unwarranted harsh treatment from disgruntled unit owners, the personal political agendas of otherf


r allowance. The more serious contain common themes r board


members, and meetings that take inordinate amounts of time


board president. Fall 2016A Publication of CAI-Illinois Chapter due to a lack of focus by board members and the


organizations so hesitant to y down the community for the


whether monthly, quarterly, or annually, checks to pay they


assessments that support


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