As important as federal and state elections are, local elections are just as important if not more so and can impact your local community quicker than any elections.

There are a number of elections coming up in May. All are important in one way or another. We all know how important the sheriff's race is. The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. The sheriff's actions can surely impact many people in how he performs his job. The Loudon County Court Clerk and the Loudon County Register of Deeds are very important jobs in county operations.

However, the sheriff nor the Court Clerk or the Register of Deeds can raise your property taxes or stick you with a $100 wheel tax nor can any other elected county official. All offices on the ballot have certain responsibilities that are also important to county government but no county elected position can impact the quality of life or the cost of living in Loudon County like the county commission positions. The ten men and women in the positions can do more to help or hurt county residents than any other elected positions in the county.

There are 10 Loudon County commissioners elected from 7 legislative districts. Any vote of the commission requires a majority, 6 votes, to pass. 6 yes votes can raise your property taxes as high as they want, or pass a wheel tax as high as they want. 6 yes votes can grow local government or reduce it.

6 yes votes can pass land use regulations or rezone property that could negatively impact your property. 6 yes votes can spend your tax dollars as recklessly as they want. County commissioners are the legislative authority of the county.

I'll use my race for example. I'm a low tax, small government candidate. My voting record is proof. My opponent, Lenoir City councilman, Eddie Simpson, is a high tax and spend, mass development candidate. His voting record is proof.

You can see why it's so important to know who you are voting for in the district commissioner races.

There are three candidates in the district 1"A" commission race and two candidates in the district 1 "B" commission race. There are three candidates in the district 2"A" commission race and two candidates in the district 2 "B" commission race.

There are three candidates in the district 5 "A" commission race and two candidates in the district 5 "B" commission race and two candidates in the district 6 commission race.

I would implore everyone to investigate the candidates, do the research, check out their voting records or their positions on the issues. Call them up and put them on the record for their positions.

The commissioners you elect will absolutely impact your quality of life and cost of living either, for good or bad, very quickly and very dramatically.

Choose wisely.