Thank you, candidates, for being on ballot

Dozens of area residents have made it official: They are candidates for some public office to be decided, for the most part, at the April 2 local elections mainly for city offices, school boards and special road, ambulance and fire districts. (In Cape Girardeau, there will be a primary election Feb. 5 for mayoral candidates.)

Many of the folks who are running for these important local positions are incumbents, so they know both the agony and the satisfaction that come with first having their name on a ballot and then from the public scrutiny of performance that accompanies a win.

But a goodly number of the candidates in these elections have never run for public office before, and the process can be intimidating.

What makes people want to serve on city councils, boards of aldermen, school boards and special-district boards? There are probably as many reasons as there are candidates.

Some have a particular interest because of previous encounters they have had with public officials. Others are interested in taxes. Still others have a special interest in some aspect of governance that has touched their lives. And many are motivated imply to give back to a community that has given so much to them.

Goodness knows, it's not the pay that draws people to seek public office at the local level. Except in some cases like municipal judge, most city and school elected positions pay nothing at all or only token amounts.

And consider the time it takes to be a good public servant. There are pages and pages of documents to read and issues to understand. There are thick books of rules to follow and laws to abide by.

Then there are all those meetings, often lasting into the wee hours of the night -- and those are the official public meetings. In addition, there are committee meetings and study sessions and on-site visits to get a firsthand look at issues that are going to become official business.

Clearly, the satisfaction that comes from being a conscientious officeholder far outweighs the time demands, inconveniences and workload. All of us owe a debt of gratitude to our neighbors and friends who accept this responsibility and treat it seriously.

In addition, we also owe a huge debt of gratitude to all those who do their part by becoming candidates. Some will win, but others will not. Either way, being a candidate fulfills an important function in our democratic process. Contested races are more likely to bring important issues to the forefront. Having choices allows voters to think about those issues and make up their own minds about who would best serve in a particular position.

Thank you, candidates, for putting your names on the ballot. Through your participation in free elections for important local offices, you are playing an important role, win or lose.