Tomorrow, Dowagiac residents will have the opportunity to voice their opinions on two key issues.

One, as outlined on today’s front page, is the Dowagiac city clerk’s seat.

Two individuals are competing for the office vacated in April by longtime Clerk James Snow. Voters have the opportunity to choose between the woman appointed by the city council following Snow’s retirement and another woman who has been campaigning as a write-in candidate.

The other initiative asks residents whether they would like to approve or deny a new bond levy that would improve building aesthetics as well as heating and cooling, upgrade technology and ensure proper safety precautions are taken.

We’ve already weighed in on the latter issue, encouraging the people of Dowagiac to invest in the future of their community.

Compared to presidential elections, voter turnout for non-presidential elections is quite sad, to put it frankly. It is not uncommon for well under 20 percent of registered voters to show up to the polls to weigh in on local issues, and in our opinion, those numbers are uncalled for.

If less than a fifth of a municipality’s voters are weighing in on decisions that directly impact them (and their wallets), are those decisions truly reflective of the community as a whole?

In the case of the bond proposal, it is important that adults remember that those who will benefit the most from the levy are the same people who do not have the opportunity to weigh in on the issue. That is why it is so imperative that those old enough to use the freedom they have as Americans do so on behalf of their children.

Even if your children are close to graduation, or have long since finished grade school, we encourage you to reflect on the education your children received. Could it have been improved with better resources? Would a better looking football stadium have drawn a bigger crowd or created a better sense of community? Would your children have benefited from a better heating and cooling system?

Consider your answers to those questions, and keep in mind that the answers are likely very similar to the answers parents with young children and plenty of years in the Dowagiac school system have.

When any city official is elected, it the community’s responsibility to ensure their hard-earned tax dollars are paying the best candidate for the job. Much like the manager of a business, it is the community’s role to hire and fire elected officials, and residents should take the decision just as seriously as they would if they were making it in the workplace.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and we encourage everyone who is able to get out and make their voice — or their family’s voices — heard.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.