The candidates are beginning to step up and we applaud them one and all.
Several people – incumbents, former councillors and mayors and newbies alike – have already stated they are running for seats in their respective communities.
They are willing to put their names on the line and commit to four years of public service for nominal pay and much more than nominal accountability.
Of the three levels of government – municipal, provincial and federal – local is the most accountable and most involved in our daily life, thus often the toughest and most criticized of all.
However, it’s also an opportunity to make a difference in your community and instead of just criticizing city hall from a distance, it’s about getting your hands dirty and doing some of the heavy lifting that’s necessary to get a community running to the best of its ability.
It’s obviously not for everyone, especially the thin-skinned or the faint of heart, but it’s also vitally important and central to our ability to live quality lives on a day-to-day basis.
And we encourage anyone thinking of taking the plunge into civic politics to please do so and allow voters a choice in who governs us over the next four years.
There’s still plenty of time as nomination documents are now available at your respective community’s civic offices and papers can be filed starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 30 and up until Friday, Oct. 10.
Further information can be obtained by contacting your respective election officers and you too can be on your way to offering your neighbours a choice in leadership come Nov. 15. It’s time for you to consider standing up with those who have done it before and continue to lead the way.
