Hello Middleburg! I speak here, I hope simply, as a citizen, not just a former town official. Today, I would like to discuss Middleburg community service as that relates to town office holders and members appointed to committees.

I do hope many readers are interested in serving on a town committee or running for council. For those who are considering or are already serving, this is for you. I hope you are or will consider the many factors related to this service.

The first thing you must consider is motivation. What is your goal for council or the committee position? Whom do you intend to serve? You should know what motivates you when you run for or serve in the desired capacity. Are you interested in accomplishing things for citizens, for business? Know precisely what you would like to accomplish and consider how you would best accomplish it. If you have any goals that are unique to you, how will you gain the consensus in that body to move them forward? If you are considering pursuing a town position, test this by discussing your goals with friends and, if possible, members of the body you wish to join.

For example, when I put my name into council in 1996 for a position on the planning commission, my primary interests were preventing a bypass (a topic then) and working on the comprehensive plan to preserve our rural heritage. I engaged in productive conversations about the plan and wrote portions that still make very proud. When I ran for council two years later, I planned to continue those efforts and wanted to improve our water utility, as it was then suffering from neglect. I lead many successful efforts on council to improve our water utility. In both cases, I wanted primarily to serve the citizens of Middleburg. I always listened closely to issues affecting town businesses – their issues are important, but that was not my primary focus.

Are you willing to take any training associated with the position? I took the state offered training for both positions. The training sessions involved minor travel and a few days of my time in both cases. These training courses provided terrific foundations to maximize my contributions to the planning commission and on the town council.

Know that you are prepared to commit the time required. Are you prepared to attend the meetings and do the reading, research, outreach, et cetera between meetings? I probably spent twenty to thirty hours per month on each body. The time required on council was still increasing when I stepped down last year. I seriously tried never to miss meetings and to enter every meeting prepared to discuss each item on the agenda.

Talk to people and learn how you can best communicate your ideas. Communication is a critical skill you can always improve over time with practice!

Finally, I wish you luck and look forward to hearing from you.

That is my opinion. Do you find this informative? Do you have questions or ideas you want me to address in a future column? I would love to hear your comments, suggestions, and questions, so please send them to the Eccentric!