Jacques Hadler
Grand County Commissioner
One of the best things about local government is that it is representative democracy distilled. It’s hard to feel like our individual voices get heard on a national or even state level, but at the local level, everything is much more intimate and personal, especially in a small county like Grand.
We local electeds know many of you. Some of us grew up here, some have kids in the same schools as you. We frequent your businesses and shop at the same grocery store. Sometimes I feel like I can’t leave the house without running into someone with a question about an issue or my position on something. This is great, and how democracy should work. Officials should be everymen and women and not elites in ivory towers. In Grand County, this is especially manifest.
I’ve been in office for almost three years now and have learned a lot about what kind of conversation works and what doesn’t, as well as what is appropriate and what isn’t.
First, courtesy goes a very long way. We quite understand that not everyone is going to agree, but getting yelled at is immediately off-putting and probably the best way to ensure that you’re not going to be heard. Civil, thoughtful conversation and criticism is always effective in getting your point across, and I will always listen, though I may not end up agreeing.
Please leave family/loved ones alone. This should go without saying, attacking someone because they are close to an official is cowardly and only going to lead to more animus and will absolutely not persuade someone to your position. It’s disheartening that a number of my colleagues have suffered this abuse in public forums.
Make public comment. At commission meetings, we have two comment periods. We limit comments to 3 minutes as there are frequently many commenters and our meetings tend to run long, often surpassing 5 hours. Again, be respectful and please understand that this period is not meant for debate, just a chance to make a point and be heard, on the record.
Please write to the commission. You can email a specific commissioner or to the body and admin as a whole. All addresses are easily found on the county website. It’s amazing how effective a simple letter can be and I promise that I will read every word of each one.
Suggest solutions. Not everything can or will be implemented but citizen commentary has often led to great ideas and governing improvements. Be informed. So much misunderstanding comes from a simple lack of knowledge on an issue. Your papers are a great source of information, as is KZMU, and you can always email with questions or call administration or a particular department if unsure.
It’s important to have involved citizens and Grand County is blessed with many. Use your right to speak wisely and frequently and please keep the vitriol down and the comments coming.
