As the new year begins it is a good time to reflect on and acknowledge the good works done by our locally elected officials.

I invite readers to do the same for Lake County’s elected officials within their specific districts or towns.

Doing the work of local government is difficult and it is challenging to identify folks who are willing to run the gauntlet of open and harsh criticism each and every day of their public service.

Verbal attacks and threats of personal harm are no longer uncommon. Of late, there are occasions where a sufficient number of candidates cannot be identified because of the expense and personal vulnerability encountered when campaigning.

Once elected, the harshest criticisms often come from individuals or groups with special interests.

While that special interest is important to those individuals and groups, an elected official is sworn to look out for the good of the constituency as a whole. They are also bound by work place standards such as respecting the relationship and boundaries between staff and elected persons.

Hopefully each elected official is guided by a moral compass and a set of personal ethics. When charged to do the work of local government they are guided and also restricted by laws, codes, regulations and available funding.

Elected officials are regular citizens who step forward with a vision and a desire to do something important, something beneficial, something lasting for their communities.

I challenge readers to take the time to offer a word of gratitude and encouragement to their locally elected officials including school boards, city council members, law enforcement, and other county officials.

Let’s express value for the scope of work that has been completed by elected officials at the expense of their personal time, sincere dedication, heavy workloads and frequent barriers to success around which they must work.

To that end, I offer my gratitude and encouragement to those elected officials who serve the Kelseyville area which include:

• Kelseyville Unified School District Board of Trustees: Rick Winer, Gilbert Rangel, Sabrina Andrus, Michael Brown and Weston Seifert.
• District 5 Supervisor Jessica Pyska.
• Lake County Office of Education Superintendent Brock Falkenberg and Area 5 Trustee Itzia Rico.
• Sheriff Luke Bingham.
• Judges Shanda Harry, Andrew Blum, Michael Lunas and J. David Markham.
• County Treasurer/Tax Collector Patrick Sullivan
• Auditor Controller, Jenavive Herrington.
• Assessor-Recorder Rich Ford.
• District Attorney Susan Krones.

Mary Borjon lives in Kelseyville, California.