Every two years, a lot of attention is placed on the November elections as the voters of our great democracy choose the state governor or president. Candidates debate each other, polls try to predict the outcomes and there is no escaping the ads. While these high-level races are important, many other positions on the ballot do not get this much attention.

During this year’s August primary and November general election, you will likely see candidates for county commissioners, township supervisors, prosecutors, judges, water resource commissioners, school board members and other local offices on your ballot. Despite the minimal attention that these positions receive, the candidates elected into these roles have a lot of control over how our tax dollars are spent.

I admit, prior to the 2022 election cycle, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to the down-ballot positions. I typically selected the one with an “R” next to their name, but I won’t do that again.

I reside in Ottawa County, where, in 2022, a group called Ottawa Impact was formed out of frustration with how the county health department and board of commissioners handled the COVID-19 pandemic response. They were successful in being elected to seven out of the 11 county commissioner seats.

On their very first day, they replaced the county administrator and legal counsel, got rid of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Department, changed the motto from “Where You Belong” to “Where Freedom Rings” and demoted the administrative health officer.

These actions, and how they went about it, alerted me to the importance of local government.

What I have learned since is that the primary that responsibility county commissioners have is determining how to spend local tax dollars. Most of that budget is generated from local taxes or from the federal and state government that is funneled down to the local level. If you attend or watch a county board meeting, most of the time will likely be spent on making adjustments to the budget or discussing potential grant opportunities.

In 2023, the Ottawa County commissioners have spent a lot of time and money wasted on efforts that yielded little tangible progress. One four-hour meeting included a three-page resolution on a topic the board has no authority over: school vaccine requirements. The resolution restated what is already a state law.

Commissioners saw it as a way to fulfill their campaign promises. I saw it as a pointless waste of resources. As the idiom goes, time is money. Board meetings include paying a lawyer, staff and commissioners for their time. Worst of all, these lengthy and controversial resolutions contributed little progress toward real issues within our county in areas such as housing and food access.

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While observing my elected officials, I have also seen how the position and its power can be used to stall progress, interrogate health department employees, share election conspiracy theories and deny grant money and staffing requests for departments they don’t like.

If you find yourself saying, “That’s Ottawa County, it doesn’t affect me,” I would say, take a closer look. This is happening in other Michigan counties as well as in states such as Virginia, Arkansas, Texas, Florida, Iowa, Idaho … you get the idea.

As we approach both the primary election in August and the November election, I encourage you to pay attention to the local candidates and issues. Look beyond the “R” or “D” next to their names. Look beyond the campaign slogans. Take time to find out how they plan on fulfilling those campaign promises. Then, vote for the individual that you think will improve your community the most.

— Adrea Hill is a resident of Holland Township.