Resolve this year to learn more about your government

Just a week into the new year, many of you are likely working on keeping your New Year’s resolutions.
While you may be thinking about ways to eat healthier and get more exercise, we think it’s a great time to encourage you to get active in another way—make a resolution to be more involved in government issues that affect your life.
In this week’s Beacon, on page 10A, we have a story about meeting dates and times for many town governments as well as the Brunswick County Board of Education and county commissioners.
These agencies meet monthly—and sometimes more—to talk about issues that affect your life.
Meetings are on a variety of days and at diverse times. Some agencies meet during the day; others wait and have their meetings at night.
These meetings affect everyone, but unfortunately, few people attend regularly. Often the only time elected officials hear from constituents at all is after they’ve made decisions on matters that ruffle feathers.
Some of the most well attended meetings deal with changes in tax rates, zoning ordinances and more.
While those are important topics, elected officials are making important decisions that directly affect you at every meeting.
Whether it’s spending or policies or ordinances, your government can best serve you when officials know exactly what you want.
One easy way you can keep informed about what’s going on in your government is to periodically review meeting agendas and past-meeting minutes.
Most government agencies have websites where you can review upcoming meeting schedules, agendas and check out past minutes. You can find some of those websites listed in the story on page 10A.
Many agencies also have Sunshine lists where, if you sign up to be included, you can have agendas and schedules delivered directly to your email box.
If you don’t have a computer at home, some agencies have public access terminals set up or you can always go to a local library and go online.
It’s also a good idea to check out the classified section each week in the Beacon. There you’ll find public notices. They announce things such as meetings, hearings, zoning changes, fee changes, tax increases and more.
Make 2013 the year you get involved with the decisions that affect your everyday life.
If you haven’t attended a town board meeting, a county government meeting or sat in on a discussion at a school board meeting, now is the time.
In 2013, resolve to attend at least one public meeting and see how elected officials you chose represent you. And, of course, resolve to vote in each election.
This is your government; resolve to make sure it is always working for you.