<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3Gfcjr_1H18rhcu00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Gfcjr_1H18rhcu00" width="600" height="400" ></figure>Fresh Eyes Can Question Old Habits, Open Closed Doors And Bring New Energy To Local Government<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3oNOqY_1H18rhcu00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3oNOqY_1H18rhcu00" width="212" height="213" >Rockland County is home to 338,329 people. Of them, 214,260 are eligible to vote. This November, about 126,199 voted, roughly 59 percent. That means about 41 percent, more than 88,000 of our neighbors, stayed home.That’s not good enough. Every one of those 88,000 people will live with the choices made by those who did show up. Taxes, zoning, public safety, roads, schools and the climate for business will be shaped by the people now taking office. Elections have consequences, and those consequences reach all 100 percent of us, not just the 59 percent who voted.So I have to ask: what’s your excuse?Voting is serviceThis month we honor the veterans who served and remember those who died defending our freedom. We thank them, rightly, for their sacrifice. Their service protects something we too often treat as optional: the right to choose our own government.Voting is how citizens serve. It asks nothing like what a soldier gives, only a few minutes of our time. When four in ten eligible voters skip that duty, they don’t just give up a voice. They hand the decision to someone else.Where there was no choice, and where there wasIn much of Rockland, voters had little to decide. Stony Point, Orangetown, Ramapo and Haverstraw had no contested races for Supervisor. When there is only one name on the ballot, an election turns into a formality.Clarkstown was different. In the one town with contested races, voters replaced the entire Town Board. Come January, Clarkstown will be led by a new Supervisor and a new Board with a new perspective. Their decisions will touch every part of town life, from business and real estate development to land use, infrastructure and the services families rely on every day.Why did it happen? The reasons are many, and people will read them differently. What is clear is that on Election Day, national, state and local forces all came together. Now the work begins.Change brings responsibilityChange can be healthy. Fresh eyes can question old habits, open closed doors and bring new energy to Town Hall. But change also comes with real responsibility.The people just elected now govern everyone, including those who voted against them and those who didn’t vote at all. Campaigning and governing are different jobs. Campaigning means drawing contrasts. Governing means listening, building consensus, keeping what works and fixing what doesn’t. Businesses, property owners and developers need predictable rules and fair processes so they can invest with confidence. Residents need to know their voices count between elections, not only on Election Day.There will be changes. Who we know. What and how remain to be seen. I wish every newly elected official well, and I’ll hold them to the standard their offices demand.Term limits for elected and appointed officialsSelf-government also means renewing it. I’ve long believed in term limits for all elected officials. They should also apply to appointed members of Planning Boards, Zoning Boards of Appeals and other land use boards.These boards have enormous influence over what gets built, where and how. Experience has value, but so do fresh perspective and accountability. Term limits keep any one person or group from holding a board too long. They open the door to new volunteers, and they remind everyone that public service is borrowed, not owned.Be the changeThe 41 percent who stayed home let others decide what their government looks like. But there is still time to make up for it.Get involved. Attend Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board meetings, where decisions that shape your street and your livelihood are made in public view. Volunteer for a board or a nonprofit. Get to know your new officials, and tell them what matters to you. Encourage a neighbor to register, and bring them to the polls next year.Don’t let others make the change for you. Be the change you want to see.The votes have been counted, the results are in, and the next chapter is starting. Let the games begin, and let all of us take part.Paul Adler, Esq. is Chief Strategy Officer – Rand Commercial </div></body>

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Fresh Eyes Can Question Old Habits, Open Closed Doors And Bring New Energy To Local Government. Rockland County is home to 338,329 people. Of them, 214,260 are eligible to vote. This November, about 126,199 voted, roughly 59 percent. That means about 41 percent, more than 88,000 of our neighbors, stayed home.

The 41 Percent Problem-Elections Have Consequences. So Does Staying Home

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Fresh Eyes Can Question Old Habits, Open Closed Doors And Bring New Energy To Local Government. Rockland County is home to 338,329 people. Of them, 214,260

The 41 Percent Problem-Elections Have Consequences. So Does Staying Home

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