I think for many, the inner workings (and importance) of local politics is a mystery. Any of us may know one city council member or county commissioner or maybe we know someone in local government to call when we have a problem, but when it comes to elections and the principles of good governance, the level of engagement and participation is remarkably low.
This is reflected by paltry levels of voter turnout election after election and a surprising level of apathy in most things related to local government. This is true even in Huntsville where, in my opinion, we have one of the smartest citizenries around. So, I ask, are we even paying attention to our local elections? And if we aren’t paying attention, should we?
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I would argue that we have to care about local politics because the quality of local government, like it or not, impacts our daily life and the quality of that life. Good governance provides the framework to meet the basic needs of a community and creates a healthy environment for workforce and economic development. Good governance should work to achieve the following:
- Provide the highest possible level of public education to ALL of our children.
- Stimulate economic development to create an economy that provides jobs, opportunities and income at all levels of the workforce.
- Elect or appoint respectable, statesmanlike leaders that work with one another to achieve a greater good.
To the third point, good governance begins with you and me as ordinary citizens. We must be engaged to know the basic needs of our community and how good governance works to help meet those basic needs. We don’t have to agree and shouldn’t agree with everything these leaders do.
In fact, the healthy tension that arises from that conflict creates a necessary balance and accountability. Conversely, we should support good leaders, as their job is rarely easy. This balanced relationship can only be achieved with a high level of awareness and engagement from you and me along with open, candid dialogue.
Finally, local government should be local and, unfortunately, that is in danger. The partisan rhetoric of national politics has made its way into communities across our nation and local priorities are begin pushed aside for the sake of national agendas. I would encourage you to be aware of this unhealthy and unnecessary trend. Support our local leaders who understand the role of local government and show up at the polls to turn away those who don’t. We have to fight for common sense and reason in our communities, which includes taking the time to ask questions and understand the issues.
We may learn that we aren’t always right (gulp as I swallow my pride) but by elevating the standard of dialogue and decorum and focusing on local issues we can continue to create a community that works for all of us.
To learn more about the local elections coming up Tuesday, August 27th visit https://www.madisoncountyvotes.com/.
Chris Hanback is a partner with The Ventis Group. He currently serves as Chairman of Huntsville Committee of 100, a non partisan business organization of over 330 CEOs and professionals – including 58 young professionals — committed to long-term strategies that support economic development, high-quality public education, and cooperative local government.