People say all politics are local. There is no more truth to that than in the elections happening locally in Brazoria County. Take a look at the Pearland city council, the pattern is obvious, it is 100% dominated by white males, all from the Republican Party. Though Pearland is one of the most diverse cities in America, our leadership lacks any representation of that diversity.
In the last 20 years Pearland has grown by over 400%. The community is becoming much more diverse and progressive, however the school board of Pearland ISD and the city council, are still under a full and tight control of the “old” Pearland. Just take a look at the Brazoria County Republican Party’s website – nearly all of the elected positions in the county, about 40 of them, are occupied by this single party. Even non-partisan positions, including school boards, local city councils, MUD districts, etc, follow a similar trend as the Pearland City Council.
The working-class of Pearland, who live in newer master planned communities, are not even aware of how and who makes the decisions that affect their day-to-day lives. This is by design, with the local GOP happy to keep people in the dark. The voter turnout in local elections has hardly gone beyond 10% over the years. Those who are frequent voters most likely belong to a close network of churches and social circles related to the established. In the 2021 local election that is going on right now, less than 2000 people (or 1%) have voted in Pearland so far, out of a population of 155,600 (Source: Brazoria County Election Office).
It is not that people haven’t noticed or challenged this status quo. But the establishment, with its power, money, and structures, has tried to block and stifle the change. Since 2016, numerous attempts have been made to increase voter turnout and to elect those who can represent the new dynamics of Pearland. Nevertheless, most of these efforts have been stymied, including a petition to move local elections to November, where turnout would be greater. Some new candidates have received death threats and become the targets of vicious attacks on social media.
Despite the fact that local election turnout has been overwhelmingly low, this year, the early voting days have been cut several days shorter (ending on Apr 27th, Tuesday). Perhaps the Republican party doesn’t want people to know and come out to vote, just like what’s happening at the state level? Bills that attempt to strip voter rights and redraw voting districts for the controlling party’s advantage (called “redistricting” or “gerrymandering”) are being shoveled into the state legislature, whose session is ending at the end of May.
The real questions facing people of Pearland and the county are: who are actually controlling the tax dollars? What about corruption and lack of transparency in local politics? How are those who are willing to challenge the established being targeted?
COVID has brought even more controversial issues. As schools and cities reopen in person operation, will they follow policies guided by science or by political ideology? Will the school board and city council remove the mask mandate against public health guidelines?
In addition, many people saw this year’s property appraisal value jumping by 10%, following the pattern of previous years, despite financial difficulties many residents are facing in the pandemic. How will the federal and state relief fund (which comes from your tax dollars) be used in local business and school districts? Will the money be kept in the close loop of the power circle?
These are tough questions residents need to ask and follow. Yes, life is too busy for the working class. But if nobody pays attention, the effects of local politics will have a much greater impact than federal policies on your daily life, such as the water you drink and schools your kids go to.
Election Day is May 1st, Tuesday (there is no voting day available between Apr 27th and May 1st). For voting hours, locations, and sample ballots, visit the county election office website: https://www.brazoriacountyclerk.net/departments/elections/current-election-information. Check out the candidates’ websites and see what they are talking about. Find trusted organizations in your community to make noise and make changes that make sense to a majority of the people rather than a selected few in power.