Chronicle Editorial: Let's keep our local elections clean and honest.

The mudslinging has already begun. Let's nip it in the bud.

No sooner did we announce, yesterday evening, that the upcoming May 20 elections for the Croton-Harmon Board of Education would be contested this year, than we began receiving credible reports of a brewing smear campaign against some of the candidates. These initial efforts to spread misinformation took the form of misidentifying their political affiliations and political positions. We have seen this tactic in previous contested elections over the years.

If Croton history is any guide, the smears will become more imaginative—and more dishonest—as the campaigns heat up. Nor will they necessarily be restricted to one side or the other, despite what some might think. Such tactics are a stain on our community and we should all oppose them.

As we have reported before, the elections for three Croton-on-Hudson Board of Trustees seats—the mayoralty and two trustee positions—are also very likely to be contested, which we know many in the village believe is very healthy for local democracy. Uncontested elections only work to entrench certain people and interests in power. It is good to see that those who complain about Croton being a “one party town” will again have the chance to change that claimed reality, if they can.

The Croton Chronicle was born in the spirit of fostering transparency in our community by engaging in enterprise journalism. We have been able to build a significant subscriber and reader base—1,130 direct email subs and an average of 55,000 views each month—in large part because we publish news and information that has long been hidden in the village or that some village officials would prefer you did not know about. That has made some happy, others angry, although not necessarily at the same time or over the same issues.

We mention these statistics to underscore that the Chronicle is an appropriate vehicle for combatting misinformation that emerges over the course of the coming elections. We do not endorse candidates, we do not take sides, but we will publish any clear evidence of smear tactics or other dishonest actions that we receive. To help with that, please get in touch at TheCrotonChronicle@gmail.com.

Thank you.

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