Residency a minor consideration

I’m having a hard time getting my blood to boil. Heck, I don’t think I could make it tepid even if I had a 105 degree fever and was sitting in a hot tub.

But there are a few people who are fuming that Eduardo Reyes, who is running to represent Chula Vista City Council District 4, has seemingly moved into southwest Chula Vista for the sole purpose of advancing his political career, not the needs of the district.

On Tuesday a dozen or so of them, some supporters of Reyes’s  opponent Rudy Ramirez, gathered outside City Hall and asked that the City Council create residency requirements for would-be representatives, among them a set number of years of living in the neighborhood.

It’s an understandable concern. How could someone who has lived in an area for under a year know what the area’s needs are? Shouldn’t someone representing a particular district have an intimate and long-standing knowledge of the area he is representing? Valid concerns.

But to legally preclude someone from running for office because they have not been a resident for x number of years borders on being narrow minded and provincial.

The city charter already requires a council person live in the district he or she represents. The assumption and hope is that it provides constituents direct access to their representative and a stronger, more knowledgeable voice on the council.

Having someone who has lived in District 4 four years, for example, does not guarantee they are more acquainted with the entire district than someone who has lived there for only two years, or even six months. Civic involvement and experience are perhaps greater ways of determining someone’s awareness of local affairs as well as gauging someone’s viability to lead.

Yes, the candidate who has lived in District 4 longer than the one who hasn’t probably has a greater knowledge of the region. But the value of that qualification should be decided by voters, not codified by local government.

Reyes’s move to and decision to run in District 4 absolutely should be scrutinized by voters. If the length of his residency in D4 makes him a carpetbagger and being a carpetbagger is distasteful to some then it should make their choice for D4 representative easier. But it should not disqualify him — or any other candidate who has lived in the area a short time — from running for office and presenting their platform to voters.

The idea behind district elections is giving distinct regions in Chula Vista specific voices and focused representation. It is about having someone in office who will fight for the needs of their neighborhoods. It is about having the best person possible in office. Length of residency is only one small factor in making that determination.