Public Participation is Required in a Democracy

In the short time I have been working full-time in Elizabethton there has been one outstanding thing I have noticed -- public participation. There seems to be a lack of participation from citizens and property owners when it comes to government officials asking for an hour or less of their time a year.

This nation was founded on a principle that the people and the citizens who live in this county govern themselves. This theme is echoed from the Federal level of government all the way down to the Local city/county level of government. The people of Elizabethton and the people of Carter County govern themselves.

Within the past 5 years, the Elizabethton Planning Department has been involved in numerous public input session. The first was the involvement of our Elizabethton’s Vision project. During this project we visited each of the elementary schools, the senior center, the Elizabethton High School, and the recreation center during the evening and mornings asking citizens to give us feedback on what they wanted to see Elizabethton look like in 20 years. Additionally, public input opportunities were also available on the city’s website. There was great participation among city boards and representatives, but little participation from citizens despite extensive public advertising.

More recently, the Elizabethton Regional Planning Commission asked citizens to participate in drafting new sign regulations. Input was sought via a public comment session one evening and an online questionnaire and comment section. Again, there was little public input from citizens about what types of signs they wanted in their community and little input from local businesses letting us know what their needs were.

During the 2012 presidential election, an election that typically draws the most number of people to the voting booths, somewhere between 3,600 and 4,700 city citizens voted for a city councilperson in this election. To give you an idea of how many people that is, 11,235 people in Elizabethton are eligible voters and 7,879 are registered voters. At best, less than 42 percent of the eligible voters (people over 18 years old) and 60 percent of people who are registered in Elizabethton couldn’t give an hour to participate in their local government -- the form of government which has the most impact on your daily lives.

A woman once asked Benjamin Franklin shortly after the 1787 Constitutional Convention closed whether the convention had chosen a Republic or a Monarchy for this newly birthed country. His reply was, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” We are all frustrated by the “big money influences” corrupting government, but if we are not willing to participate in our local government by giving feedback and voting, then we have signed over the right to govern ourselves to others who are willing and wanting to do so.

As we go into a new year, think about ways you can participate in your local government even if it’s just for an hour or two a year. Tell the City Council or County Commission your thoughts on issues before them, participate in a public input session, or simply show up to vote for the best candidate. Let’s govern ourselves and try to keep our little Republic here in Carter County. Let’s talk about it!