Commentary by Cindy Benedict
Normally I’d ask you to close your eyes, but then you can’t keep reading so just work with me. Think about your home. Put in your mind’s eye what it looks like from the outside, the look and feel of your neighborhood, and how you drive out of your neighborhood. Eventually you return home, but in the meantime you’ve earned some pay, picked up groceries, had coffee with a friend, grabbed a gift and attended a school or sporting event.
It is just a normal day in your life. Now imagine your lifestyle without good roads and schools, and a safe place to shop. What if our area didn’t work for its economy so you didn’t have a good job, or lived in a neighborhood where anyone could build whatever they wanted next to your home? Hey, imagine it without a sewer system!
Your tax dollars pay for an awful lot of what makes your home, your home. From sewers, to roads and road maintenance, police and fire services, recreation and creating an environment that entices business and beautiful neighborhoods, municipal governments have a lot of influence on your daily life. The people we elect set the tone, and make the decisions that influence everything from trash pick-up to the ability to walk somewhere safely.
This is why you must vote on May 5 in the primary election. Local elections determine who will represent you in making real decisions that affect you and your family. In Noblesville, the primary election is the de facto real election and it has real races. There are 30 people running for 12 positions and trust me – even if most of them have an (R) behind their name, they all have very different opinions and perspectives on how to run a city. You have a say in this. So take 30 minutes, read the bios in today’s paper and look at the candidates’ Facebook pages or websites to learn their positions. Take another 30 minutes to vote. One hour every four years to influence how your home is treated is surely worth that investment.
Now open your eyes to get some perspective. It is estimated that in 2014 Hamilton County had 302,623 residents and 70 percent of those 18 and older are registered to vote. In last year’s primary election only 12 percent actually voted. The choice is all yours – will you let others direct your future or will YOU vote?
Cindy Benedict is the community engagement manager for the City of Noblesville. She may be reached at 770-2007 or [email protected].
