North Logan: Political science prof puts theory to work on council
October 19th, 2015 Posted in OpinionNORTH LOGAN – City Councilman Damon Cann says he feels comfortable seeking reelection in a competitive election year, because no matter the outcome, North Logan City will be in good hands.
Cann is seeking a second term in the upcoming Nov. 3 city council elections. Fellow incumbents Roger T. Anderson and Kristen Anderson also are up for reelection, facing challengers Bruce Lee, Bradley Crookston and Gordon L. Younker.
Four years ago, Cann ran for city council and “thankfully” was successful. As a Utah State University assistant professor of political science, Cann has studied politics, but says he has never been so involved in the process. A chance to continue being involved in North Logan is an opportunity Cann is enthusiastic about.
“I’ve developed some experience that helps me be more effective — how cities are run, how municipal politics work, and it helps me make decisions for the city,” Cann said. “There are issues on the agenda that we are continually working on that I would like to see through.”
One of these issues is North Logan’s problem with deer. The council created ordinances about fence height in attempt to keep deer off of people’s property, but it isn’t a perfect solution to the problem, Cann said.
“It’s been tricky. We want to be aware of wildlife but we also want to be respectful of people’s property,” he said.
Cann consistently pursues input and suggestions from the community. The more he communicates with citizens, the better representative he can be, he said. For the election, Cann isn’t comfortable letting his experience on the council speak for itself. He finds it important to create a dialogue between the council and the community.
“We have a council in North Logan, not a dictatorship,” Cann said. “As a political scientist, [I know] people don’t trust in their government. I think there’s a general feeling that government all too often gets out of touch with people. The dialogue between officials and citizens is very important – not just at election time.”
One way Cann keeps in touch is by going door-to-door or calling North Logan citizens at home. He finds this allows residents to see and interact with him, and promotes open communication. Cann says he doesn’t want people to have to come to him with issues.
“It’s rare for the phone to ring at the house and have a member of Congress be on the other side,” Cann said. “I’ve tried to bring a little of that into my personal style.”
To continue open communication with citizens, Cann attended Meet the Candidates event hosted by North Logan City Youth Council last week. The event gave citizens an opportunity to ask the potential council members questions before the election.
“The great thing about North Logan is there are six great leaders running,” Cann said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I am by no means certain I’m going to be successful. But I’m hopeful.”
TP
Tags: Damon Cann, election 2015, North Logan City Council, USU political science department
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