By Noelle Edwards
nedwards@salisburypost.com
In a race already filled to brimming, another Salisbury resident has announced his intention to claim a City Council seat.
Sidney L. Roberts, a reverend with the Church of God in Christ, is running as a write-in candidate in the November election.
To get the word out, he is passing out leaflets and cards, and he plans to hold a press conference in the coming weeks. He also participated with other candidates in the NAACP forum on Wednesday.
“Running as a write-in gives you a little more room, but I tell you, it’s work,” he said.
He decided to run about two weeks ago, after the deadline for candidates to file passed.
“There needs to be a change,” he said.
He said he thinks all neighborhoods and areas of the city should be represented, and he would prefer a council with representatives from districts or wards.
He said that would also help keep candidates accountable for what they are doing because their activities would be measured by the progress of the district they represent.
“The taxpayers are the ones who can change that,” he said.
He said he thinks leadership offices should have new people flowing through every few years to keep things fresh.
“Everybody should have an opportunity to run for public office,” he said. “That career politics shadow is not good.”
He said he thinks voters need to be educated about what elected officials are supposed to do and every citizen’s job in running the city.
He said, “If I could win one of those seats, I could help be a part of a move toward progress.”
Roberts lives in Salisbury, on Confederate Avenue. He was born in Salisbury but moved shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. He moved back to Salisbury in December 1998.
Twelve candidates filed to be listed on the City Council ballot. They are Charles Black, Maggie Blackwell, Carl Dangerfield, Blake Jarman, Benjamin Johnson, Pete Kennedy, Susan Kluttz, Mark Lewis, Brian Miller, William Peoples, Paul Woodson and Michael Young.