Happy New Year to all our Patriot readers! 

I love coming into a new year. You’re still on a high of Christmas joy, and there’s a new year full of possibilities ahead of you! 

If you are looking for a unique New Year’s resolution (you know, on top of the obligatory “lose weight, exercise more” resolutions) I’d like to make a suggestion: Set a goal of attending one or two of your local government meetings. 

I was hired as a reporter for the Patriot in August of 2020, and in that last year and a half I have learned a lot about how the local government works. It’s really been eye opening. Growing up in a conservative household, it’s easy to imagine that the government is a machine designed to take money from taxpayers and spend it on frivolities. But this is not the case (at least on a local level.) Most of the meetings I attend every week are much more mundane, dealing with roadwork and residents’ properties. I’ve learned about local government processes, starting with an elected representative (or even just a citizen) presenting an idea to the board or council, representatives working on the issue, then passing an ordinance or resolution.

But the most important thing that I’ve learned is that our local government representatives are looking for feedback. Anytime a person approaches their local board or council, I have seen that person treated with respect, and their ideas were given fair consideration. 

This, however, doesn’t happen often. At around half the meetings I attend, I am usually the only audience member. When a resident shows up to say their piece, it’s a special occasion. Even more rare is when someone comes just to observe and learn. Even those who are most outspoken about the practices of local government only show up to about three or four meetings in a year. 

Of course, my experience may be skewed, since I have only attended meetings during this neverending pandemic. And people have busy lives and probably can’t attend every single meeting, nor would they want to do so!

Still, I think that there is a lot of value in getting to know your elected local officials and how the government works.

So I’ll challenge those of you reading this column. Do you know the names of your local representatives? Do you know what happens during a city council, town board, or county commissioners’ meeting? Do you know how an ordinance or resolution is put into place, and how that affects property owners in the district?  Do you know how the annual budget is approved and the tax levy is set? If not, why not attend a meeting this year and have these questions answered? Even if you can’t make it in person, many meetings are recorded and are available online.

I hope to see you all there! And again, I wish you all a happy New Year!