Civic Virtue In This Year’s Election

Some City Council members and some running in this year’s election will disagree with my take on state interference in my “Harmonious Baloneyous” article about the state taking away the ability for cities to regulate building design, materials, colors, etc. They will say the state did not take away the city’s right to control building design, instead the state gave back that right to the citizens. That different position is due to a focus on individual rights over community rights.

Yes, individual rights are hugely important and need to be protected. But they don’t exist in a vacuum. So, how city council candidates deal with this is a useful litmus test for this year’s election.

When I took the Utah League of Cities & Towns (ULCT) training for newly elected city council members they specifically discussed individual rights versus community rights using a presentation from the University of Kansas School of Public Affairs. They said this is one of the “polarities” that city councils need to address appropriately.

The presentation stressed that these polarities “are sets of opposites which can’t function well independently. Because the two sides of a polarity are interdependent, you cannot choose one as a “solution” and neglect the other. The object of polarity management is to get the best of both opposites while avoiding the limits of each.”

We all feel strongly about our individual rights. And we should. But we have to balance how we exercise these rights with our obligation to other people, our neighbors, the community. So too, the city council needs to balance the city’s duty to individuals with its duty to the community. That’s not easy.

Some city council members and candidates will say that Ivins is not a HOA, so we shouldn’t impose regulations on residents like HOAs do. I have heard some of them say that. That’s because they are focusing on the individual rather than the community. But HOAs aren’t the only ones in the regulation business. Just one document, our Ivins City Code, has over 250 pages of regulations. It exists to create a balance between Individual rights and community rights.

I believe regulations are appropriate if they are created for a reasonable purpose. As an example, I believe that our design guidelines have helped Ivins develop its own unique character by prioritizing the views of our spectacular desert environment over the views of buildings. For me, that’s a reasonable purpose. That is, as long as we don’t get carried away with design guidelines that are too restrictive. Again, finding that balance isn’t easy.

We live in Ivins because we have chosen to live in a community. We have chosen to rely on others in the community for lots of stuff we need, enjoy, and value. There’s give and take in that bargain. But, despite the regulations that come with it, being part of a community gives us greater opportunities and freedoms.

I believe the success of a community, its cohesiveness, comes from acting with civic virtue, a dedication to the common welfare of our community. Without civic virtue and a concern for the common good, a community cannot function in a fair, prudent, and wise manner and becomes divided.

All the candidates running for city council are good people who want to do the right things for the community. But I believe prioritizing individual rights over community rights is the wrong approach for this job.

So, it’s important to look at how the candidates in this year’s city council race view the polarities of individual rights and community rights, not just on one issue, but on any issue.