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Speaking out: Why local elections are so important

With national elections behind us, it is time to focus on the local level. Generally speaking, the turnout and participation for local elections is relatively low. It is long past time to see a change on that front. Municipal, school, park, library and township elections should really be put into focus because of the impact they have in all of our communities.

Everyone is always concerned about property taxes, but most don't realize that as taxpayers you have the ability to have an impact on what those taxes are, and what you are getting for them.

We all want to have good schools, parks and community services, but most of the time people don't have the foggiest idea of who is making the decisions that affect us. Now is the time to find out.

This spring there will be elections for most of these local public bodies. I would encourage everyone to take the time to find out who is running for the various boards that serve your community. Find out who the candidates are and something about them. Find out their backgrounds and what type of experiences they each have that will help to make them effective board members. Find out what their positions are on different issues that are pending or likely to come before their boards.

More often than not, candidates will have literature printed up that describes their positions and backgrounds. They also may have Facebook pages or Web pages that provide that information, and they may have filled out questionnaires for local newspapers.

You can also learn a great deal by attending some of the local board meetings, even if they are on Zoom this year.

The bottom line is: You should do your homework as citizens. If there are issues you care about, you should find out where the candidates stand. Unlike national elections, you are not likely to see commercials on TV. It does, however, make sense to find out about these candidates.

They are the people who are going to be making the decisions about what things get approved and built, how often your garbage is picked up, when your kids go to school in person or online, what their class sizes are, what type of recreational programs are being offered or cut back, and on and on and so many things.

People move into communities where they know the services are good and the schools are doing a good job. These things affect your property values and your real estate taxes and your daily lives.

By being an informed citizen, you can make a difference when it is time to vote. Most importantly you need to get out and vote in these local elections. If you do not, it ends up with a small number of citizens deciding who is serving on these boards.

You can also go further and actually get involved. There are usually many opportunities to participate. There are committees or special events where you can serve or volunteer as your time permits. If you are impressed with a particular candidate, and want to make sure they get elected, you can volunteer to help on one of their campaigns.

I know it is easy to say those in the know will make the decisions, and you will leave it to them to participate and to vote. You should be mindful: This is your community, wherever you happen to live, and you can and should care about it, and you can and should participate to the fullest to ensure all the boards that serve you are doing what is best for your kids, your family and your neighbors.

Now, I urge you to all start doing your homework!

• Elliott Hartstein of Northbrook is a former village president of Buffalo Grove.

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