At the end of the week, there will be a change in some of Carter County’s government offices. Officials elected earlier this month — a new county mayor, register of deeds, school board members, and new members of the Carter County Commission — will be sworn into office, and a new era of government will begin.
Now that we’ve elected these officials, we must ask: What do we want from our elected officials?
First, we think everyone would agree, we want them to represent us. We want them to go to bat for us and act in our best interest, and that also goes for the officials we will elect in November — a governor, congressman, state representatives, and city councilmen. And we want them to uphold the duties of their position with honor and decency.
That’s the gist of it. Represent the people of Carter County and do so honestly.
Election campaigns have changed people and changed our nation. We have become a partisan people, who find it hard to work together. We liked Sen. John McCain because he often laid aside his party label and reached across the aisle to work with Democrats as well as Republicans on matters that concerned this nation and its people.
In recent years, a populist, anti-establishment wave has swept over the United States. It’s trickled down to state and local levels, too. Just look at the gubernatorial primary campaign which led up to the August elections. The candidates attacked each other, accused each other of being out of touch with voters. It was a campaign that turned off many voters.
At every level of government, we want our elected officials to listen and consider our positions. But we also want them to make tough calls. If every single piece of government business were settled at the ballot box, there would be no need for city councils, county commissions or state legislators.
But the truth is, most citizens don’t have time to keep up with every issue that comes up at the local, state or national level. And, that’s why we elect county commissioners, state legislators, etc.
We expect these officials to stay informed. But, when an issue does pique the interest of a citizen, they can and should make their voice heard. That is also when they need to let their county commissioner and other elected leaders know what they are thinking, and if necessary, raise a ruckus.
But, in the end, elected officials need to consider public input, weigh the options at hand and make an informed decision. We simply ask our elected officials to listen to their constituents and hear what they are saying on both the large and small issues. It may be a school matter, a pile of trash that someone has dumped by a county road, or a stopped-up culvert. Listen to them, and then do something about it.
But there’s a tipping point. Elected officials should be capable of making tough decisions that will be unpopular with some portion of their constituents. We just ask them to be informed when they do. It’s an essential part of the job.
Being an elected official is not an easy job. Simply, because you are a servant of the people. You serve at their pleasure. Always, keep that in mind.