The November presidential election is already rocketing toward the summer conventions. Legislative and congressional races will ramp up soon.
Amid all that, dont forget to vote in the April 2 local elections.
Theres a lot at stake here in Janesville, and in Rock County, that requires impactful, community-minded leadership.
Local elected offices sit on our school boards, city councils, town boards and on the county board and serve in many other roles from sheriff to circuit judges.
The people we elect here in Janesville and Rock County set our local tax levies, decide what our kids learn in school and pay their teachers.
The Janesville City Council oversees hiring of police, fire and EMS department heads, city managers, and of those who maintain our city streets and drive our city buses.
The council recently approved borrowing to build the Woodmans Center and is now considering a plan to buy, clean up and redevelop the former General Motors site. The council also makes calls that affect us every day, from approving new businesses to ensuring that parks and trails and the Hedberg Public Library remain well-managed, welcoming spaces.
Janesville School Board members in recent years have dealt with school security and COVID-19. Its fallen to the school board to weigh increasing calls for more parent control over curriculum, calls to pull books from library shelves and calls to further embrace inclusivity countered by calls to pull back from that. In the coming term, it appears the Janesville School Board might be tasked with staging yet another operating referendum.
Rock County, governed by the Rock County Board of Supervisors, for its part in the most recent term approved the expansion of the jail and sheriffs office. The county operates our 911 center and circuit courts, administers our local elections, maintains county roads and parks, and keeps records on everything from births and deaths to property transactions. County board committees and the full county board have tackled broadband expansion, equity and inclusion, and rail traffic. There are county offices focused on human services, public health and affordable housing, and Rock County owns the site of the Rock County 4-H Fair.
In the 29 county board districts where a seat is up for election on April 2, 20 are contested. Thats a lot of races and a lot of local civic engagement on the part of candidates.
In Janesville, theres a six-way race for three at-large seats on the city council and a four-way race for three seats on the school board.
Also on the April 2 ballot are a six-way race for the Footville Village Board, a five-way race for the Beloit City Council, a three-way race for the Beloit School Board, a mayoral race in Brodhead, a four-way contest for the Brodhead City Council, a two-way race for the Edgerton City Council, a five-way race for the Orfordville Village Board;, a three-way race for the Clinton School Board, a four-way race for the Milton School Board, a four-way race for the Delavan-Darien School Board, and a five-way race for the Evansville School Board.
To see a list of all the candidates in the above races, visit the Rock County Clerk’s website at: .
What our local elected officials do matters to us every day. This is your community. Play your part in choosing our next slate of leaders. Make a point to vote on April 2.