Hopefully most of those reading this have voted in the primary election by now, and if you haven’t, and it’s before 7 p.m. Tuesday, there’s still time. Go vote! 

I’ve mentioned previously about the importance of this election — even if it’s not the single most important election in our state or nation’s history — and hopefully we’ll see a good surge of Election Day turnout. 

But, the fall elections will be important too, and I’ll say now that it’s not only worth voting in November, but participating. Locally there are a lot of spots available, including four seats on the Powell Valley Hospital District board, three Northwest College trustee positions, four Park County School District 1 board spots, three Powell Fire District spots and more. 

This is an opportunity to serve, and these positions can be just as impactful, if not more so, than the more high profile positions. 

Serving on the board of our local school district, for instance, involves a lot of time and energy.  But, as I’ve seen first hand, it can also lead to big impacts in helping to shape a district that educates the vast majority of our local youth. Whether you have kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews in the district, or moved here after seeing your kids off to college, you should have a vested interest in how our local schools are doing. After all, our youth are the future of our community, and if we want to make sure we continue to have new employees for area businesses, new tradespeople to replace those retiring, we need to maintain a good school system. 

Overseeing the local college is also important, as many NWC grads are headed straight to local jobs, or are doing a program at the college to improve in a job they already have, such as acquiring a CDL. 

Powell Valley Healthcare, like the school district and college, is another of the city’s largest employers, and helping to oversee the path of such a critical healthcare institution also comes with a big impact. 

If you want to be part of the group that ensures our local firefighters are well supplied and supported, helping to oversee the fire district also entails important responsibilities. 

Certainly, if voters in November approve a ballot measure granting a 50% reduction in residential property taxes, board members overseeing these districts will be tasked with working to keep these institutions going on a smaller budget. 

It’s doable, but it needs to be managed with care by board members who are knowledgeable and who care. 

So get informed ahead of the November election and, just maybe, get involved and make a run.