It’s an exciting time for the two municipalities in Pearl River County. The administration of our cities begins again, one with some new faces, and another that was chosen for another term by the electorate.

In the north end, a mostly new Board of Aldermen took office this month. Two of the members of the Board remain from the previous administration, while two more have previous experience as an elected official. As this new Board of Aldermen gets its feet wet with the numerous responsibilities that come with an elected position, we feel confident each will put forth their best effort to accomplish as many tasks as possible.  These Board members have expressed an interest in fixing what’s broken around town, specifically infrastructure. No city can hope to grow if water and sewer systems are not working properly and roads are pocked by potholes.

On the south end of the county, Picayune voters have chose their current administration for another four years. It’s kind of rare to see an election with very little opposition. But that’s what happened last month in Picayune.

Only one seat was contested, and during that race 99 percent of the voters who turned out to the polls chose the incumbent.

The returning administration in Picayune also wants to focus on economic development, repairing infrastructure and attracting more business and industry so the tax base grows without putting the burden on property owners.

It seems as though the leaders of our county’s municipalities have the same goals in mind, build on what works, and fix what doesn’t.

Deciding to run for office and taking on the responsibilities entailed is a tough decision. And to decide to stay on, in spite of the complaints and other negative aspects of elected office, speaks volumes for those who were reelected.

Let’s give our elected officials the support they deserve, while also providing civil input to ensure they are aware of the public’s wants and needs.