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Answers to this question are presented in alphabetical order with minor edits for grammar, spelling and clarity.
Dayton Daily News: Elected officials have at times fought on Facebook with each other and other citizens. Do you believe social media is a net positive or negative on the city government's culture, and would you engage in social media as an elected official?
Mayoral candidates
Jeff Gore: I believe in freedom of speech and believe that council members should have those same freedoms; however our council members need to understand that they have a different responsibility with those freedoms. I also believe that social media can and should be a net positive for our city, but our elected officials must understand that their tone on Facebook represents the city as a whole and therefore they should really be critical of what they post before they post it. If elected I will engage in social media on a personal level because that's how I stay in contact with many friends and family members, however when it comes to a mayor social media account, it will only be used to pass along important information to the residents, not as a form of argumentative dialog as we've seen.
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Albert Griggs Jr.: I have no problem with social media and government. I use social media all the time. Social media is not good or bad. It is how it is used that gives it a good or bad connotation. As an elected official, I have every intention of using social media. It is a great tool for keeping the public informed on what's happening in the city.
David Wilson: I view any means of communication between elected officials, candidates and the community as being good. Most people do not attend the meetings so social media is the main way they learn about what is going on within their city government. Where many people see these discussions as breaking down into arguments I feel it is simply people showing their passion for our city. As for engaging in social media I have and I will continue to participate. Social media is a productive tool for both elected officials and candidates and I believe it is here to stay.
City council at-large candidates
Nancy Byrge: I find it totally inexcusable for any public official to speak negatively of the council, staff or fellow council members on social media or in public. The social etiquette that used to exist among council members must be resurrected to stop this divisive behavior. Social media is a valuable tool that gives residents with busy schedules an opportunity to engage with council members. But, it should be contained to respectful discussions; especially when opinions differ. I recently launched my own Facebook page as a council member, and I would openly welcome citizens to engage with me on the page.
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Rick Stan: The reality of the age in which we live is that social media has become an important means for people to communicate. It is a positive from the standpoint that it gives people the ability to communicate more freely. It is a negative when people use social media to communicate anonymously or use social media to convey negativity. We also have the same problem with social media that we have with emails - the communication process becomes depersonalized. When this happens, people can misinterpret, try to read between the lines, fail to read completely what was written or inadvertently place undue emphasis on a portion of the written communication. I believe that neither social media or email are the best way to communicate important information to people. As an elected official, I will use social media and email as but one tool to communicate with those who elected me. I am being elected to stand up in front of the people to talk with them and listen in person.
Chase D. Warden: I have always felt that residents are finding it increasingly beneficial to be able to contact their city representatives, or even publicly get their mayor/council members on record for any particular issue. Also being able to read up on summaries of past council meetings is a positive. I feel social media is great for residents but probably shouldn't be used by public officials to communicate/debate/harass each other about a particular issue publicly. If a resident has a problem with an official, it is their right to ask questions, not for another official to call out a colleague on an issue.
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