Few residents of any community actually take advantage of opportunities to have their say concerning issues that are facing their neighborhood.

Thursday, November 18, 1999

Few residents of any community actually take advantage of opportunities to have their say concerning issues that are facing their neighborhood.

They might complain about a decision or a policy among themselves, but when the call goes out for comments on a particular issue, often they don’t bother to attend the public meetings or pass along their comments to someone who can do something to resolve their concern.

This week, the City of Ironton asked residents to come to a public meeting regarding two upcoming city projects. The idea was, of course, to find out what residents want to see done in their city. There also have been several public meetings regarding the future of the Ironton-Russell bridge.

Participating in the government of your city, county and region is just as important as voting, especially if you feel there is something that needs to be done differently or not done at all.

Officials cannot operate in a vacuum. If they don’t hear from their constituents, they have no reason to think the decision they have made is not the right one.

As the new year dawns, we all need to make a resolution to be more actively involved in the future of our community.

Attending meetings and keeping in contact with your elected representatives are two keys to that success.

Keeping quiet won’t make your community a better place to live.