We owe a debt of gratitude to grassroots government

School board and municipal government elections make essential decisions.

By

Lifestyle

June 8, 2021 - 9:39 AM

The deadline to file for local elections passed recently, and it’s worth thanking every school board hopeful and municipal candidate for their willingness to run. The past 15 months have proven what I’ve long believed — local elections have the biggest impact on the day-to-day lives of Kansans.

Mask ordinances, business restrictions, how and where children attended school this past year ultimately weren’t dictated by officials in Washington and Topeka. Instead, local school boards made the call on what classrooms looked like. Your city commission or council also had the option to impose their own measures to fight the pandemic. Some did while others didn’t.

I won’t say the system worked perfectly because no human endeavor ever will, but it generally worked as designed. The people making those decisions not only had to live with the effects of their decisions, but they also answered to their neighbors, friends and family members. That offers a pretty good dose of accountability.

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