Frustrated? Run for Office.

By Chris Dinkel

In the weeks leading up to and in the weeks following the failed school bond election last year, I heard time and time again that Hays citizens didn’t trust the school board or district leadership. It’s a common issue that affects every level of governance, and honestly, the mistrust is often well-earned. (Who trusts Washington or Topeka anymore?) However, we each have the opportunity to affect change. If you’re frustrated, run for office.

To some extent, it is simply in vogue to complain about government. We like to feel as if we could do better than anyone representing us, but we need to be willing to involve ourselves in governmental decisions when we have the chance and find out if we could actually do better or not.

There are currently two people running for three open seats on the USD 489 school board, and it looks like most local elections in the area are in a similar state. Considering the number of people who have expressed their discontent with the Hays school district, I’m surprised and disappointed that we don’t have a dozen Hays citizens running for those three open seats, but we don’t.

This is a problem for several reasons.

First, civic engagement is the bedrock of western civilization, and that starts on the local level. Not every person running for office needs to have presidential aspirations, but if you want to see positive change in your local community, you have the opportunity.

Second, if nobody runs, then we end up scraping the bottom of the barrel for leadership for our towns, school districts and counties. This isn’t to say that the people running for these positions aren’t qualified or excellent choices, but we need choices before we can choose. In my opinion, no representative should ever run unopposed. If they do, they have the license to decide whatever they want with no accountability to their constituents.

Finally, dissenting voices that never run are never heard. Governing bodies with a balance of opinions are much more likely to arrive at good decisions than single-minded groups, and if you disagree with the direction of a particular governing body, the best way to change it is to become a part of it. Representatives are supposed to listen to their constituents, but if you disagree with your representative on every level, they will never implement your ideas no matter how many letters you send or editorials you write.

You don’t have to be frustrated to run for office, but if you are, there’s no reason not to run. You have a significant opportunity before you. Make the best of it.

All that said, I have had an ongoing internal debate whether I should run for school board or city commission, but I have finally decided to announce my candidacy for City Commission in Hays. Civic duty is driving my decision more than frustration, but I hope that my presence on the Commission will contribute to the positive direction that the City has been moving the past several years. I hope the citizens of Hays will support me in this venture, and I hope to be an agent of positive change in the City of Hays.