Editorial: A new year, a new chance to get involved

In January of presidential years, there is a turnover of authority.

It doesn’t happen in Washington, where everyone is far too focused on the White House or which U.S. Senate seats are up for grabs. The U.S. House of Representatives — where all seats are up at once — becomes a free-for-all as every microphone is a chance for a campaign sound bite.

It isn’t a Harrisburg thing, as the Legislature is likewise focused on its own races and the governor is busy planning his budget address.

No, it’s something that happens close to home.

Counties may change hands. Allegheny County stayed in Democratic control as Rich Fitzgerald stepped away after three terms and Sara Innamorato became the first female county executive.

But a contentious race for that seat showed that Allegheny’s Democratic Party isn’t a monolith. One of Innamorato’s first acts underscored that as she did what Fitzgerald wouldn’t. He went to court over the county council’s setting of a minimum wage for the county’s employees and won. Innamorato implemented it.

There are likewise changes that can happen in every school district, every borough, every township as old members step away, new members step up and new leadership takes over.

In Arnold, the writing was on the wall for police Chief Eric Doutt as new Mayor Shannon Santucci had made clear her intentions to oust him. Doutt quit ahead of time.

Not every changing of the guard is so dramatic. Westmoreland County, for example, will see Commissioner Sean Kertes remaining as chairman, a move that shocks no one in a board that remains unchanged.

Indeed, most January meetings can be old hat. Local government tends to be like a comfortable shoe that some public servants settle into for years of boring but necessary work.

But every January is an opportunity for little shake-ups. A chairman decides to step back and let someone else have the gavel. Someone new volunteers to pick up a committee seat.

At the same time, these are chances for residents to be more involved.

Every community needs more active participants. They need more people paying attention when the meetings occur and more people raising a hand when a job needs to be done.

In the end, every January is about who is responsible for what is happening — and keeping our leaders accountable by our own involvement. Participation is part of that.