This week I’ve watched the Windham town council, school board and planning board deliberations on such topics as the shortage of salt, what going by the ordinance means (in legal terms), the requirements for graduation and whether a subdivision will impact the surrounding area.

I think we are so fortunate to have volunteers to serve on these important boards, the decisions of which shape the future of the town of Windham.

The town clerk has announced that nomination papers are available for some of the seats on the elected boards, council and school board. Perhaps this year there will be a clamoring of people lined up to get these papers, their first step to becoming a decision maker and impacting the lives of upwards of 15,000!

Having viewed many of these election processes in the past, my hope is that history does not repeat itself, resulting in one candidate for a particular seat. Where’s the choice?

I can remember when town council candidates held press conferences, wrote op-ed pieces for the local papers and attended every meeting of every group to familiarize themselves with the process and the responsibilities of the various groups and organizations. They prepared themselves. They knew what the food pantry was; they familiarized themselves with the town code and all the various committees. Sometimes they even came to historical society meetings or visited the library and schools.

For many years, a town election always presented a contest. In recent years it’s been very disappointing to have only one candidate for a particular seat. A voter knows their responsibility, but what do you do when there’s no choice?

Every candidate, I don’t care who it is, has an agenda. If they didn’t, they would not be running for office. Sometimes it’s a personal issue, sometimes it’s just a desire to do good for all. Sometimes they have become disillusioned and resigned mid-stream, as it were.

As Windham has evolved, there aren’t as many residents who have that drive and need to help guide the town. The ties to a community are not as strong as in the past. But there are still people who care enough to volunteer their time and help. We look forward to seeing who the candidates will be this year, particularly in these dismal economic times. And we remind any candidate that even if they run unopposed, when they are elected it is to represent all the people, even those with whom they disagree – not just the few who elected them.

I call it “few” when only 1,500 of over 11,000 registered voters select leaders whose responsibility it is to wisely spend millions of dollars. (These are the figures from the June 2007 election).

It is so easy to vote nowadays that you don’t even have to leave your home. For more information about voting or candidacy, contact the town clerk.

See you next week.