Non Partisan Local Government?

I was talking with Eureka City Councildude, Chris Kerrigan, prior to the last election. I mentioned that, while city council races are supposed to be non- partisan, they really aren't since endorsements of particular candidates often seem to be drawn among partisan lines. That's to be expected since, even in local elections, a person will support someone they feels reflects their own interests. But I wonder just how partisan they really are, deep in those partisan smoke filled rooms we hear so much about?

I also wonder how much partisanship has to do with appointments to local government boards and commissions? I'm sure there's quite a bit of that, although much of it is just a natural human tendency to favor people that you have something in common with. The Democratic Central Committee of Sonoma County seems to have to decided to take it one step further (or have they?) by pretty much telling local Democrat politicos that if they appoint someone to a board or commission in Sonoma County that isn't a Democrat, they'll be punished by the Central Committee removing their names from their support list, or whatever it's called.

I wonder how much of that happens around here, albeit in a much more low key way? There must be a little of that going around, especially among the Salzman and Arkley crowds (Of course, with Saltzman, nothing is ever done in a low key way). Thanks to the Sonoma County Democrats for being up front on the issue.