Make your voice heard at local elections

Hey there Silent Majority!

I'm not sure if you'll see this letter, but I thought it would be worth a try to get your attention. I know you're extremely busy with family, work, hobbies and other such noble pursuits, but I have to remind you April 4, 2017, is an Illinois Consolidated Election.

It's not one of those big fancy November elections where we select a leader for the free world or a governor for our sovereign state. This is the little one. The local one that brings a bunch of our next-door neighbors together to get some work done. This election covers mayors, village boards, library boards, township boards, and school boards.

I see you're silently listening and asking with your eyes why this concerns you. Well, we received our property tax bill, and I know how that little piece of paper can create an emotional maelstrom within the meekest.

Think about what that extra $100 per month on your mortgage escrow does to those noble pursuits! Or how about families just squeaking by to stay in their homes until the children graduate from the school that brought them here in the first place? We might not know exactly who is struggling, but we feel the silence from lost joyful noise of children no longer echoing in our cul-de-sacs.

So how can you help? Vote. Your vote is an appeal for responsible neighbors who will represent you at many boards. It's a statement for keeping our community strong rather than watching passively as dissatisfied neighbors leave for greener pastures.

When our silent majority of neighbors become "for sale" signs instead of "vote for" campaign signs, it's beyond disappointing - it undermines the very foundations holding our community together.

Vote on April 4. Be heard. The silence is deafening.

Pete Dombrowski

Schaumburg