Still time to step up

With all eyes focused on the November 2020 presidential election, it’s easy to overlook a small off-year election for local offices.

Yet, the offices filled in those elections are the ones that most directly affect our lives. A letter-writer this week notes that unfilled positions, even on a local road district, can have major negative consequences.

There’s still time — barely — to step up if you’re interested in serving the Sisters community on a variety of elected boards. The Sisters School Board has two positions open; one candidate has stepped up for each. A single candidate running for a post isn’t really an election.

The Sisters Park & Recreation District Board also has one candidate each for two positions. As of press time, one position on the Cloverdale Rural Fire Protection District Board of Directors did not have a candidate filed.

Across Deschutes County, there were, as of Monday, 52 candidates filed for 66 available posts.

We all have concerns about the state of our great republic, especially at the national level. But it’s at the local level — right here in Sisters — where the heart of the republic beats. And its lifeblood is participation. The filing deadline for the May 21 election is Thursday, March 21. For information visit https://www.deschutes.org/clerk.

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief