Make a difference

By: By The Editorial Board | Mooresville Tribune
Published: June 03, 2009

Why would anyone run for a seat on the Statesville City Council?

The hours are long.

The pay is dismal.

The newspaper second guesses your every move.

And very few people — except the naysayers who are against everything — care about your efforts unless it directly impacts them.

All of those reasons, however, are outweighed by the importance of having good people step up to the plate and contribute their time and talents for the betterment of our city.

We're fortunate to have a core group of experienced council members who have helped guide our city through recent droughts and the current economic crisis. We haven't run out of water and the city has plenty of money in the bank. They've done a good job.

But that doesn't mean there aren't a handful of people across the city who don't have different or better ideas.

That's why we have municipal elections. So residents — or at least the 10 percent who typically cast their ballots in city races — can decide if they approve of the direction our city leaders have taken or whether we should consider another route.

Five council seats and the office of mayor will be on the ballot in October. Qualifying is scheduled for July 6-17. It costs $5 to run.

Think about throwing your hat in the ring.