There’s good news in Rock County and the surrounding areas this election season, but it has very little to do with the people on the ballot this fall. This fall’s election is all about politicians. State and Federal candidates will all promise to make your world better, only to get reshaped by the hyper-partisanship that exists at that level. “But, Bill,” you say, “you told us there was good news.”
There is. But to see it, we might have to look beyond partisan politics and personal feelings. Locally, the data center debate has stirred strong emotional responses between those for and against such projects. But something else has also happened. The people rediscovered that local government officials are elected to serve them! For far too long, many people have acted as though they were just tiny cogs in a giant political process and loathe to get involved and engaged. It took a rapidly advancing tech industry to motivate residents to force their local officials to take note of them. From the towns of Rock and Turtle to the cities of Milton and Janesville, local voices have been the catalysts for changes in policy and procedure.
Let me be clear, however, this column is not about data centers. It’s about the power of the people at the local level. Whether you agree or disagree with the changes in the direction of the data center discussion, there is now demonstrable proof that citizens can still facilitate change in local government matters. In the broadest sense, residents were not comfortable with how their elected officials were handling potential developments. Residents asked for, at a minimum, more time to understand the dynamics of data centers. They built a grass roots movement of sorts, and implored their elected representatives to listen. Town and city officials, eager to spur economic growth and increase tax bases couldn’t ignore the voices of their constituents. The perceived fast track of data centers in these communities was paused in order to bring citizens and government into alignment with more information and transparency. The “system” worked.
So, what’s next? What do you want your local officials to spend their time working on? Lower property taxes? More responsible spending? Better transportation infrastructure? Higher student achievement outcomes? The future is in our hands as it always has been.
In November, we will participate in choosing the state’s next Governor, Assemblypersons and U.S. Congressional Representatives. Don’t pull back on the
responsibility of learning about the candidates’ policy positions and voting accordingly. It’s important.
Once November’s election passes and the holidays are over, it will be time for focus on electing local leaders for our schools, towns, villages and cities. Those election filing dates always come up fast. To keep the local citizen momentum going, the time is now to engage with local incumbents and potential new candidates and possibly even encourage other local leaders to step forward who you feel can responsibly represent their community.
Each of us will at times find ourselves with the majority of voices and with the minority. But one thing should now be crystal clear. We can still advocate for the local outcomes we want and our combined votes and voices can still inform and influence our local decision makers. That IS good news!
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RCF’s Mission: Empower the citizens of Rock County to preserve freedom & liberty through education and government accountability.
Even though Party members may tell you otherwise, RCF is not affiliated with any political party. Rather, RCF builds powerful, non-partisan coalitions to address local needs! For example; strong education, responsible taxation, individual opportunity and public safety, to name a few. Come join us to make a difference, locally!
