Last month, I had several opportunities to speak at The Career Academy having a conversation with students about the intersection of government and business as part of their curriculum on government and business. Our discussion centered around why it matters to pay attention to the regulations which impact business daily. I was energized by the conversations with these students on why it is so important to be aware of the laws, ordinances, regulations, and other forces of government which impact us locally. These students at TCA inspire me for their commitment to their pathway, their focus on their future, and the education they are receiving at TCA which helps grow a talented, skilled workforce in our community.
As business owners and leaders in our community, it is our obligation to pay attention to these local elections. From my time working in politics, the phrase “all politics is local” holds true for the business community. Yes, there are things happening in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate which have an impact on our lives. Yet, the real impact on our daily lives happens with the local political subdivisions whose decisions have an impact on our lives every day.
Think of all the local elections we have in front of us this month. Looking at our ballot in Lincoln and Lancaster County, we have one federal race for the House of Representatives. We have the five state constitutional offices on the ballot – Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, and State Auditor. There are five different districts in the Nebraska Legislature which represent part of Lancaster County on the ballot.
Locally we have two of five county commissioner districts on the ballot. Additional county offices include: County Clerk, Assessor/Register of Deeds, Sheriff, County Treasurer, County Attorney, Public Defender, Clerk of the District Court, and County Engineer. Further, we will be voting on members of the State Board of Education, Southeast Community College Board of Governors, and Natural Resources Districts. Plus, there are judges on the ballot for retention. Finally, we will be voting on three Constitutional Amendments. As you can see, in this election, all politics are local.
The impact of these local races has a wide range of impacts on our daily lives. The local bodies we elect will directly impact our day to day lives here in Lincoln and Lancaster County. These political subdivisions will impact the taxes we pay – wheel taxes, sales taxes, income taxes, and property taxes, just to name a few. These elections will matter on our roads funding and repair throughout the county. Our LIBA priority of the East Beltway will be in the hands of those we elect. The public safety in our county will be impacted by this election. The service we receive as constituents will be impacted by those who are elected.
I realize the national news talks about what is happening in Washington, D.C. I hope you will take time to review the local elections and make sure to you are making an informed decision with your vote on all these local races which will have a lasting day-to-day impact. You can go to the Secretary of State’s website, www.sos.ne.gov, and under elections and voter information you can look up your precinct which will also have a sample ballot you can download and do your research and make an informed voting decision. Be sure to tell your friends, relatives, and co-workers to get out and vote and share the information with them so they can be prepared to vote when they vote on November 8th.
Remember, decisions are made by those who show up!