*******May 3, 2011 UPDATE*******
The unofficial election results are out!
Note: These are the Unofficial Results as of Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at 10:20 pm. Results will be certified within 48 hours. All newly elected officials will be sworn in during the Council Meeting of Monday, May 16, 2011.
A ** indicates the winning candidate of each race. "Write-in" indicates votes cast for other than official candidates. The term of office for all seats is four (4) years. Total votes includes absentee ballots. The election results will be certified and the newly elected officials will be issued the oath of office at the City Council Meeting scheduled for Monday, May 16, 2011. Election results will be published in the May 11, 2011 edition of The Hyattsville Reporter, which appears as an insert in the Hyattsville Life & Times. Questions on the election may be directed to Hyattsville City Clerk Doug Barber by phone at 301/985-5009 or by email at dbarber@hyattsville.org.
________________________________ Mayor
Christopher Michael Brophy (135) LaVonne Leslie (155) ** Marc Tartaro (572) Ward 1
Douglas S. Dudrow (77) ** Candace B. Hollingsworth (107) William Jenne (7) Scott D. Matirne (20) Ward 2
William F. Tierney II (171) ** Shani Warner (223) Connor Wilkinson (32) Ward 3
** Timothy P. Hunt (169) Ward 4
** Paula J. Perry (51) Ward 5
** Nicole Hinds-Mofor (41)
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THE ELECTION IS MAY 3!
 I have a vision for Hyattsville, the City where I live and the neighborhood where I plan to raise my family. I picture a vibrant, diverse, walkable, arts-oriented city, with a strong sense of community and civic engagement. We already have many of the building blocks we need to achieve this goal: genuine diversity on a number of different axes, active civic groups, beautiful tree-lined streets, proximity to transit, charming housing stock, neighbors who know and care about each other. That’s just the start of the list. Yet we have some obstacles to overcome too, such as an unnecessarily factionalized City Council, a financial situation that is far more dire than is commonly supposed, a failure to embrace new technology and new ways of communicating with our residents, and an unwillingness—or perhaps inability—to leverage the strengths, talents, and enthusiasm of our neighbors. The recession has hit Hyattsville unusually hard, property values have plummeted, neighbors have lost their jobs, development has been derailed, businesses have closed, and we have reason to be concerned about the safety of our homes and the quality of our schools. Over the past year and a half I have worked hard to bring a community garden to Hyattsville. My emphasis from the start has been on the community-building potential of this project. My hope is that a community garden will foster relationships between and among neighbors who might otherwise never interact. I have maneuvered the garden proposal through a political process filled with political machinations, personal conflicts, sudden reversals, delays, micromanagement, opposition, and unexpected alliances. It’s been a crash course in Hyattsville City Council politics and has opened my eyes to the obstacles that even popular and inexpensive legislation can face. Our City Council needs to have more involvement with community groups and do a better job of listening and responding to the concerns of our citizens.  I was raised to believe strongly in the principles of citizenship and public service. I know I have the energy, imagination, and practical skills to help bring about the Hyattsville I want to live in. I expect that the people who will choose to vote for me will share my aspirations for our community, certainly not in every particular instance and not on every specific priority, but with shared goals that we will work toward together. Shani N. Warner |