If you’re still on the fence about who to choose from the crop of Mayoral hopefuls in next Tuesday’s municipal election, this News-Dog has a recommendation. Scott Wagner and Alissa Canady both deserve serious attention for good reason.

Both stood fast as Scott Taylor and his committee passed Ordinance #180828 that railroaded The Paseo name change to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. with little or no public comment. Wagner as Mayor Pro Tem presided over the Legislative Session in which the city’s charter was shredded at the behest of a vocal minority representing entities that don’t pay property taxes. During that debate, both Wagner and Canady drew fire from Councilmen Lucas and Reed for failing to engage the public in their miscarriage of justice. In return, both had stern words for the way the ordinance was handled–and the need for the ordinance at all-given there’s already a MLK Park and that 80 percent of their constituents were against the proposal.

Fast forward to last week on KCPT’s Week in Review, Host extraordinaire Nick Haines peppered Mayoral candidates with questions about how and why they’re the best choice for the city’s top job. Again, both Wagner and Canady had strong positions against the Mayor’s Pre-K regressive tax as well as targeted ideas and proposals for youth mentoring, neighborhood and public safety, and East Side Development. We won’t even begin to try to understand the non-answers candidates Reed and Taylor advanced, often talking circles around the issue that was asked, never answering the question.

The most important issue, however, is to vote. The Dog doesn’t take kindly to those who don’t vote, then put up a big stink about how things turn out. There are a number of important issues on next Tuesday’s ballot, including a school board choice and the Mayor’s regressive Pre-K Tax. If you think voting isn’t important, one need only look at recent history to see how many elections were decided by a single vote. Make it happen, make your vote count.