West Fork’s nine-member WestFest committee did more than give the town a successful festival. Even before the event ended, the committee was looking forward to the 2012 celebration. We hope the work by this group of dedicated and engaged citizens will serve as an example of foresight for other governmental bodies in West Fork.
Maybe the water and sewer commission will devote more attention to considering the water and sewer needs of the town five, 10 or even 20 years down the road rather than just responding to the crisis of the month.
Perhaps the planning commission will stop the political posturing, follow the ordinances and, well, plan.
The city council might try asking some questions about the future of the town whose welfare they were elected to oversee. They might try asking themselves why the school district is the only one in Washington County with declining enrollment. Or why West Fork is losing out on the tax benefits from a population increase. There are some searching questions about how West Fork presents itself to the world that must be asked, regardless of how uncomfortable they may be to some segments of the community.
During the current budget discussions, perhaps the council will focus on long-range capital improvement funding. Maybe they will stop throwing roadblocks in front of the mayor long enough to prioritize the town’s needs during the upcoming period of reduced revenue.
The festival committee buckled down, paid attention, worked hard and gave the city a successful event and began planning for the future. The city council members would do well to heed their example. Maybe some potential city leaders are in that group.