Why don’t people participate more in local government?

It sounds like a simple question, and it is, but the fact is the majority of people, for any number of reasons, do not attend local government meetings.

Monday night saw both a county and city meeting, unfortunately the number of citizens present at each could be counted on one hand.

This is a problem.

First, the citizens of any area should be involved in government. Every city, county, state and national official is, in fact, an employee of said citizenry and thus must be treated as such. They may be given the freedom to do the jobs they have been elected to do, but must also be held accountable for their work, as is true in any business.

If not, then the issue should be brought up to them.

Second, while the vast majority of officials are upstanding people that want to see their home thrive, there have been some in the past that abused their positions.

While our officials have done nothing to even suggest any wrongdoing, that doesn’t mean we can forget about them. Turning a blind eye to anything is just asking for trouble.

Lastly, an efficient government can only do so if everyone is involved. The citizens elect the officials, who then govern but always with the thought that the citizens are watching.

It’s sad that so few are willing to make time to do their part.

We as citizens need to have enough civic pride to attend local government meetings, invest in what is taking place in our communities.

Governance is a public service and officials, public servants. But how can we expect them to do the job properly if we are unwilling  to check in on them from time to time.