The key to having good elected officials is having informed voters. On the national level, there's always a lot of information to be had but on the local level, it's a little tougher.

In just a little more than three weeks, early voting will begin for the May 6th Loudon County primary election. There will be 18 offices on the ballot with 13 of those being contested elections. There will be 31 candidates vying for those 13 offices. Voters have their work cut out for them.

The countywide elections are to choose people who are or would do the best job for the citizens of Loudon County. These offices are very important to the well being of the county. As important as these positions are, these officials do not set policy for the county.

Policy making is vested entirely with the 10 district commissioners. A majority (6) of these commissioners have the authority to take the county in any direction they see fit and they have four years to do it. The voters decisions on who will fill these 10 seats will determine the future of Loudon County.

Many times voters will cast a vote for someone simply because they know that candidate or they hear he/she is a good person. Surely, all the candidates are good people but does that make them qualified for the position?

Voters should take the time to learn about the candidates, find out their positions on issues like spending and taxing, the size of government and regulations, are they followers or leaders, do they have any experience for the job they are seeking other than being a good person.

The overall county budget is nearly sixty million dollars. Six of those commissioners will decide how those dollars are spent. The current property tax rate is about $1.90 per $100 assessed value. A majority of these commissioners can raise that rate to what ever level they see fit. A majority of these commissioners can implement any regulations they deem necessary on the residents of Loudon County.

Our ten commissioners are vested with enormous powers and authority. Please take the time to find out where these candidates stand on these important positions. It could make a bid difference in all our lives.

Monday, March 31st, the Loudon County Republican women will be hosting a meet and greet session for all candidates. This will be a great opertunity for the voters to come out and talk to the candidates and find out where they stand on the issues.