Congratulations to those who showed up to the All Candidates Forum held in Barriere. The turnout from area voters was encouraging, and we hope that all those who are eligible to vote will do just that.
For those who did not attend this opportunity to hear what the people who will be running your community have to say, we’re sorry you weren’t there. You missed a chance to help you make an informed decision before you go to the polls on Nov. 15.
Those who were unable to attend for whatever reason, have hopefully been reading the interviews and information provided in the Star/Journal to get you thinking about whom you are going to vote for.
We hope the candidates have caught your attention by knocking on your doors and talking to you, or through their advertising, literature and promotions.
If you have questions for the candidates, don’t be shy. Give them a call, an email, or talk to them when you meet them in one of the local businesses or on the sidewalk.
They will answer your questions or get back to you with answers because they all want to serve the public. And because of that, we need to take them seriously, listen carefully to what they have to say and what they are promising to do.
Civic elections should not be popularity contests because there is far too much at stake. The people we send to the district council, and for some voters the Regional District, are the people who are going to be making decisions on how best to spend our hard-earned tax dollars.
They will also decide on what will and what will not be built or repaired.
They all say they will listen to what we want, but we have to be confident they will follow through on our wishes or tell us what we need to know and not what we want to hear. Sometimes the truth hurts, but the sustainability of the community should be first and foremost. These are difficult times and communities are facing problems that need to be fixed, whether it’s economic development, water and sewer concerns, or aging infrastructure.
We hope everyone will mull over what’s needed in his or her community and vote for the person who will bring it to fruition.
The decisions we make on Nov. 15 will be ones we will have to live with for the next four years.