Dear Editor,

Recently, I’ve had a lot of interaction with local township, school, and county board government. There is one thing that I have come to expect and value very much in local government: transparency.

Transparency is simply having an open, honest conversation between government and the people. Elected officials must actively keep the people informed, seek their advice, and listen to their concerns. An elected official who ignores the people’s input is losing out on very valuable guidance on many issues.

Obviously there are times when there are two sides to an issue, and government cannot agree with everybody. Nevertheless, an elected official should always be willing to listen to everyone with respect, even when they must disagree in order to protect the Constitution and our God-given rights.

Isaiah Carlson,

Sylvester Township

Candidate for Green County Board, District 16