Your effort within local government can have a real impact on your community. Many issues that directly affect our lives are decided on the local government level. That is where you can contribute to your community and directly affect the lives of your friends and neighbors.

• Local governments in our towns and villages are charged with many responsibilities including:

Zoning Approval or Denial of Local Construction Infrastructure Creation & Maintenance Water & Sewer Service

Transportation Property Tax Assessments Establishing Parkland Preserving Open Space Environmental Protection Policing

You don’t have to run for local office to serve your community. Every local municipality has boards and commissions that provide opportunities for residents to volunteer their timeand make a direct impact on everyday issues. For example, a developer may want to build a large residential subdivision in your town next to an existing farm or park. That application must be presented to the local planning board, which is comprised of local residents appointed by the town board. This group of people decides whether or not the developer may build the project and what conditions might be attached to the project approval. Similarly, members of the zoning board of appeals, among their other duties, decide whether to allow local residents to build within established setback areas by granting variances.

Other ways to get involved with your local government include serving on advisory panels, such as:

• Historical Preservation Commission
• Architectural Review Board
• Environmental Policy Commission
• Board Of Assessment Review
• Police Community Council
• Ethics Commission
• Community Center Committee
• Human Rights Commission

Town and village boards are always seeking volunteers to join such boards and commissions. The time commitment varies depending on the services that you choose to contribute. Often, service on such a board or commission becomes a springboard to other involvement in local government, including elected office.

Local government service is a great way for people of all ages to become involved in their communities. For youth, it provides an early introduction into the workings of the democratic process. For those in the workfield, it allows an opportunity to bring real-time practical issues into discussion. For retirees, it is a chance to share their great perspective from a lifetime of varied experiences to resolve local issues.

The first way to get involved is to vote in local, state, and national elections. Next, attend regular meetings held by your town or village boards to get a feel for the operations of your local government and what might interest you. Beyond that, seek an active role by contacting your elected officials and expressing an interest in service. On the local level, regardless of political views or party affiliation, it only takes one person just like you to really make a difference.