The old rugged dross: Councilman Cappuccino opens in the chair as an otherwise hopeful new council convenes.

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Ready or not … here they come.

New city council debuts Monday in New Albany; Two returning members vie for presidency, by Eric Scott Campbell:

The two biggest issues on a short agenda are the consideration of payroll additions and the election of a council president and vice president. Incumbents Jeff Gahan and Jack Messer are considered likely candidates to be nominated to the top seat, one Gahan held in 2005 and 2006.

The payroll changes would add a deputy mayor/development director and a deputy director of operations to England’s staff. Carl Malysz and Matt Denison would fill those positions.

Verily, some things may well change, while others stay forever the same.

Asked by reporter Campbell to comment on the new council’s legislative agenda, returning 3rd district embarrassment Steve Price indicated that he remains, as always, woefully uninformed:

Price said he hadn’t heard much about legislative plans, other than the possible resolution of a court case over the relative size of council districts: “I don’t know what they’re going to be going through.”

Is the accidental councilman’s use of “they’re” meant to imply that he doesn’t see himself as being part of the group? If so, it would appear that the 3rd district is destined to suffer through four more years of flagrant under-performance.

And yet, in fairness, the performance of this or any other legislative body is but a small piece in the bigger puzzle of a community’s daily existence. However, if there is to be any substantive discussion of something approximating a civil society in this town, the council itself needs to do its part in conjuring a few more of the better angels of our natures, and pandering to fewer of the nasty ones.

We begin the year with limitless optimism … and now, the clock starts ticking.

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