A lot gets decided in the relative quiet of Cape Cod winters. Now is the time that town meeting warrants are assembled, municipal budgets are developed, and candidates for local boards declare themselves for elections that occur in the spring. What this all means is that while voters get the final say at town meetings and elections, the questions they are asked to approve and the candidates from which they get to choose are decided now.
Now is the time to weigh in with your local officials about the things you value to ensure that the proper articles appear in your spring town meeting warrant. Want that piece of land preserved? Then speak up now. Want your town to have funds to monitor pond water quality? Then you better say something now so that money gets placed in the proper budget. Do you want local officials who place a higher premium on clean air, clean water, open space protection, and rational responses to climate change? If so, the time to find candidates who reflect your values is now. Maybe that candidate is you, even if you have never considered yourself as a potential candidate for office.
It is easy to sit back and lament that your town isn’t doing enough, or moving fast enough, to solve the problems that seem so apparent to you. It is a little harder, but so much more rewarding, to become part of the solution. While many of those New Year resolutions you made may already be distant memories, it is not too late to commit yourself to making a difference in the affairs of your town in 2022. Rather than being too late, now is the perfect time to do it. After all, the Patriots season is over, the Bruins and Celtics are not really worth your time and there will be no baseball spring training due to the lockout. As a result, there are fewer excuses for not paying attention to what needs to be done in your town this winter, so you can feel better about what is happening this spring, summer and fall.
