Voters will get their first taste of selecting city and school officials in November this year.
The Legislature struck down spring elections for school and city positions last session, which means anyone interested in serving on Iola’s council — as well as Gas and others — have until June 1 to ponder the decision to file.
At Tuesday evening’s Gas council meeting City Clerk Rhonda Hill told councilmen the positions of Mark Henry and Kenny Baker would be up for grabs; so will Mayor Darrell Catron’s. Henry and Baker were non-committal about another term, deferring to “think about it.”
In Iola, Mayor Joel Wi-coff and council members Nancy Ford, Beverly Franklin, Don Becker and Sandy Zornes will be up for election. Franklin mentioned recently she didn’t intend to run again, and “will try to find someone in my ward” to take the plunge.
If enough candidates file to require a primary, it will be in August.
In many respects those in local office hold more sway over people’s lives than those in Topeka and Washington, D.C.
That may be the source of the campaign advice: “Don’t stay too close to the people too long if you have ambition for higher office,” with the rationale being virtually everything that occurs in city hall, the county courthouse and schools is well-known, and effects have staying power.
An increase in utility rates, redoing a street or road or any number of local decisions affect individual citizens.
The flip-side is that local officials are much more accessible, to hear ideas, praise for popular decisions and, of course, criticism when it’s due — best done in a constructive manner.
THOSE WITH the time and wherewithal should be eager to serve in some capacity.
We have seen a multitude of folks come and go on governing boards. Some we thought did superbly, others maybe not quite so, but it is difficult to recall anyone who held a little piece of city, county or school reins who didn’t do so with good intentions.
Another observation: Time was, not so long ago, when a woman being elected was an event. Now, thank goodness, we can point to ever so many places where gender and race are well-represented, as they should be.
Some citizens say they lack experience and education to make decisions that affect us all.
We say hooey. Diversity of ideas and consideration is the grease that makes the wheels of local government turn in a positive and progressive manner.
Limiting ourselves to one demographic is a sure course to stagnation.
— Bob Johnson
