A call to serve

Hamilton County needs a few good men, and women, to step up to the plate.
The filing deadline for numerous elected positions is fast approaching, though the time is now for folks who care about their communities to seriously consider the call to serve. Running for public office is not only a noble calling, it is also a vital component of the democratic process.
A number of positions are up for election this year in various jurisdictions. That includes Hamilton County, the City of Aurora, 4R Public Schools, and all of the villages and area school boards. 
The decision to throw your hat in the ring and run for public office isn’t a simple one, nor is it usually a priority career goal. More often, we suspect, good, honest, hard-working local citizens are approached and encouraged by their friends and neighbors to consider giving of their time and talent to give back to their community.
There is another local election on the 2022 calendar, a vote amongst Giltner School District patrons involving a proposed recall of board president Chris Waddle.
I’m not a fan of the recall initiative process, fearing that it has become a knee-jerk reaction to target an elected official for comments or votes on a specific issue. That’s what elections are for, quite frankly, and in this case Mr. Waddle is up for election in November of this year. If Giltner patrons don’t agree with his views or leadership style, the more appropriate way to address their concerns is to support other candidates to run and let their voice be heard on election day, in November.
Launching a recall effort at this time, without any urgent charges of ethical or legal wrongdoing (which is what the recall format is intended to address) stirs local angst, and more importantly sends a dangerous message to anyone who may be considering a run for public office. That’s not helpful, especially with a candidate filing deadline so close at hand.
In a broader sense, the work done in school board rooms, the county courthouse, city hall and village offices is so important to our area. Quality of life and pride is strong here in Hamilton County and that’s due in part to the small and large decisions made month after month, year after year on our behalf.
The filing deadlines are Feb. 15 for incumbents and March 1 for everyone else. We hope to see several contested races this year, since having a choice on election day tends to increase interest in the campaign and is also a healthy sign that people care.
Kurt Johnson