’Tis the season! No, not that season — it’s mid-term election season. Don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you who to vote for, I just want to encourage you to exercise your privilege to vote.

Many of you fear that your vote won't count, or you may be so fed up with politics and/or the process itself that you just can’t bring yourself to go to your polling place. But you just can’t think like this! If nothing else, vote for your local candidates with whom you share a common vision and values. Research their positions; look at what they said they’d do in the past and find out if they actually did it. Actions speak louder than words. If they promised you X in the past and failed to deliver, then they’ll likely fail to deliver in the future.

It has been said that all politics is local, so consider the following when determining whether or not to vote: The mayor and city council (or some committee they appointed) appoint/hire the city manager. The fire chief works for the city manager (or in some cases the mayor and/or city council). You work for the fire chief. And, if you're a union firefighter, the elected/appointed city government appoints the people with whom your local board interact. Get it? Your vote counts whether it seems like it or not.

You have the privilege to vote, not the right. You have the privilege of having a say in your government, so use this privilege!