To the editor:
Please make your vote count on Primary Day, that’s Tuesday, Sept. 12. Primary Day is significant for those who are registered with a political party to help choose the individuals that will ultimately be in the running for elected positions come Election Day.
The choice that you make locally regarding Oneida Common Council is significant. We have so many local issues that require the right kind of attention to make better. Experience in civic and executive work can make all of the difference.
I am asking that if you are a registered Democrat to please consider voting for James “Jim” Coulthart for Ward 3 Common Council for the City of Oneida. Ward 3, for those who are not familiar, was re-organized last year. If you are not sure what ward your home falls within, the Oneida City website has a really great ward map available on their website.
Perhaps I am a little bias, as Jim is my dad. Anyone who knows my dad is not surprised when he announced his interest in Ward 3 Common Council. When I think about the kind of representative I want to bring the concerns of the neighborhood forward in Oneida, it’s my dad. Hands down. Why? He gets things done. He’s the kind of guy that needs only a word to spring into action and to make things happen. A great example of that was when his neighbors were openly concerned with traffic flow and zoning around the local park that borders their houses. He was the guy you saw out there knocking on doors in the neighborhood to engage and listen to how people felt about it, attending meetings, creating flyers, and bringing people together to be sure that the residents had a voice that was heard.
He has already advocated for Ward 3 successfully. Imagine what he could do in actual elected office! I am sure that’s the reason why he has such a successful career working with non-profits – he knows how and when meet people ‘where they are at,’ and with what they need at that moment. People who know him understand his character as a family man who loves Oneida. I can tell you he’s one of the folks who still believes that Oneida is a great place to raise a family and whom still believes that with some hard work, things can and will be better here. Generationally, the Coultharts are a family of deeply dedicated individuals who had laid the foundation of so much civic volunteer work in this city in the 60s, 70s, 80s with both the scouts (My late Grandpa Stephen Coulthart was very active volunteering with the scouts for years) and very much with their local church, too. Raised to understand the value of community, my dad is someone that ‘gets’ the roots of where this city has been and where it can go.
That’s why I am asking you, registered Democrats in Ward 3, on Primary Day in September to consider a vote for my dad, James ‘Jim’ Coulthart. I’d love to see him out there once again in the neighborhood doing what he does so well, which is advocating for the neighborhood as a representative. I think it is officially time to put him on the clock for the city.
Sincerely, Sara (Coulthart) Haag – Oneida City Resident and Proud Daughter