Well, it's finally over and in record time. District elections are now in place in Santa Barbara. Now the real work begins for the new districts and new councilmembers in tending to the business of making each neighborhood a better place for all.
There are the pundits who say it is better to govern these districts as a whole rather than let them govern themselves. A segment of the population has adhered to the thought that "these people can't help themselves, so we must do it for them."
Those who are elected to represent their district must realize that they also have a duty to represent the total community. As goes the community, so goes your district — the districts make the community, and one is not separate from the other. It is a balancing act, and it takes a real leader to do so, but at least each district will have a chance to elect such a person instead of begging the powers that be for support and spend thousands to get elected.