With the General Election coming up fast, almost everyone in the country is up to their ears in policy, scandal, and various governmental issues. So here’s something not heard about quite so often: the small, local governments responsible for the day-to-day running of the thousands of towns and cities all over the United States.

“Whatever decisions they make, they affect all of us,” Rolla High School Government teacher Michael Ellis said. “Obviously we want to have people in office who are friendly to our everyday needs and wants as a people.”

One of these local officials is Rolla City Council member Sue Eudaly, one of 12 members who currently hold the position.

“I’ve been off and on [the City Council] for fourteen years,” “I thought I could help the people in my ward,” Eudaly said.

When it comes to government, many people feel their voice is unheard. And that’s exactly what makes local administration different.

“With the federal government you kind of have to go through a lot of red tape to get the person that you want,” Eudaly said, “I’d like to think that the City Council hears from the citizens, and that’s what really drives it. If I hear from citizens that there’s an issue on our agenda that they’re just opposed to, then I support the citizens. I’ll have to show them that the people in my ward don’t want this, I’m going to have to vote against it. And I think all the City Council people are very aware of that and try to do what the citizens want and what is best for the community, and I think that helps everybody.”

And while what the City Council does may seem minor, especially in comparison to the large, sweeping issues that everyone has been hearing so much of lately, they change the way we live our daily lives in Rolla.

“When we have local issues, those are very important. We had a park issue last year and we passed a park tax to help improve the parks,” Eudaly said, “We’re trying to do a very diligent job of taking care of that money, and making sure there are nice additions to the park, and make sure that money is spent wisely.”

However, despite the affect it could have on our city, and by extension us, very few people actually come out and vote for the City Council. In fact, the highest voted candidate this year saw less than a 2% voter turnout, according to the Phelps County Clerk’s office.

“If it doesn’t affect them on a daily basis, then some don’t take it quite as seriously as they should,” Ellis said.

It definitely is something that should be taken seriously. These people need to hear from their voters, so they can create the kind of city the citizens want. “It’s important we hear from people. The more people we hear from, the better decisions we can make, I believe,” Eudaly said.

Government, especially local government, is not something most people would expect a typical young adult to be interested in. But the fact remains that what they do directly affects the lives of everyone within the area where they work.

“You need to know and understand how our government works and how it affects you. And how you can deal with certain situations and scenarios that might happen in your life where you’re dealing with government,” Ellis said, “We should become informed voters and vote for things that are going to help us in our daily lives.”