Just 177 City of Groton residents cast ballots for city officials May 4, representing a less than 4 percent voter turnout.

Yet it is hard to blame residents for choosing to not carve voting time from their busy schedules. With no contested seats for mayor or council, each candidate needed just one vote to seal a victory. Essentially, each could have elected him or herself.

This election comes at the same time city officials are yet again discussing seceding from the Town of Groton. It also comes at the same time as municipal officials in many towns are recognizing the need for more regional cooperation and collaboration. If there weren’t already more than enough reasons to end this unwise and ego-driven campaign to become Connecticut’s 170th town, the election-that-wasn’t seems surely to be the cherry atop the sundae of anti-secessionist arguments.

Acting Republican City Chairman Robert L. Zuliani in an op-ed piece published in this paper said the party tried for more than a year to find suitable candidates, but ultimately was unsuccessful in this quest. One reason he cited is that the mayor’s job is full time, which discourages many potential candidates who can’t afford to quit good jobs to accept one that may last only until the next election in two years. A second reason he cited is that the elected Democrats have not been nice to Republicans who do manage to get elected to the council.

“Many potential candidates expressed concern over being subjected to public humiliation, degradation and/or disrespectfulness, such as the lone Republican (Jay Dempsey) has experienced during the past two years during City Council meetings which were aired on public television,” Zuliani wrote. “No one desires being ridiculed publicly, while contributing countless unpaid, voluntary hours to public service.”

Compare those words with these similar in tone comments made by City Councilor Lawrence Gerrish when voicing his support for possible city secession: “They definitely treat us like we’re an orphan child. I always get the impression when I’m there (town council) that they’re looking down on me, like I’m less than they are.”

Hurt feelings may be a fine reason for a child to find a new group of playground pals, but it’s hardly an appropriate justification for a financially unsound secession movement or for failing to field candidates for public office. And if the Republicans are worried enough about hurt feelings that it keeps them out of public service, what would this mean should the city be searching for residents willing and able to serve on the more expansive list of municipal boards and commissions likely to result from secession?

If the Republicans are serious about seeking out candidates and public servants in their midst, they should consider some more inward introspection. At the same time, Democratic leaders have little evidence of overwhelming city-wide support for their contention the town routinely under-funds city services, thus necessitating secession. If leaders of both parties are serious about serving city residents’ needs, they will find ways to effectively work with the town and end their ego-driven talk of secession.

What this newspaper thinks should happen is the opposite of secession — consolidation. In addition to two municipal governments, with the borough of the City of Groton layered within the Town Groton, this community of about 40,000 souls also has nine fire districts, three police departments, two councils, a town manager, a city mayor, an RTM, and numerous boards and commissions.

However, recognizing there is no political will at this time to begin trimming all this bureaucracy, the least town and city officials can do is work toward some common ground to improve efficiency and move pass this silly talk of secession.