My Reflections on the State of Parkside Politics

My name is Michael Costigan, and I am a life-long resident of Parkside. My mother is a life-long resident of Parkside. My grandparents moved to Parkside in the early-60s and raised their six daughters here. I love this town. My family loves this town.

When I was a kid, my grandfather would bring me to borough council meetings. I remember so vividly being captivated by the process of local government--of ordinary citizens coming together to solve problems in their community.

Unfortunately, I feel that our current council is not working together to solve our problems. Council members from both sides of the political aisle choose to attack each other on Facebook and insult each other at council meetings. What message does this send to our young people? What message does this send to our residents new and old? What would my grandparents, God rest their souls, think about this, a town in which they chose to call home their entire adult lives and raised their family?

The toxic nature of our politics is the reason that I decided to run for borough council. I became so disheartened by and disappointed in the behavior of our leaders, and I felt it simply had to end. Our politics does not have to be this mean and divisive. Political affiliation should not taint or distort our views of each other. We are neighbors.

The people of Parkside deserve leaders. Leaders who bring us together, not divide us. Leaders who work with, not against each other. Leaders who lift one another up, not bring them down.

I urge you, the voters, to carefully consider who you are voting for on November 2nd. There are a number of dedicated, caring, compassionate individuals who are running to serve you. I hope that you will take the time to get to know them for who they are. And humbly, I ask that you consider me as one of those individuals. If elected, I will:

-Strive to lead a transparent government that communicates clearly with all residents.

-Help to plan events for the entire community, especially given the pandemic that we have all been through.

-Work tirelessly to bring us together and lead a government that you can be proud of.

When you go to the polls, I hope that you will support a new vision for Parkside.

Imagine a future where our borough council members respect one another.

Imagine a future where our leaders put their efforts towards addressing your needs, not their own self-interest.

Imagine a future where Republicans, Democrats, and Independents work together to address the needs in our borough.

I look forward to working together to make this future a reality in Parkside--together.