Dear Editor,

I am a lifelong resident of Effingham County, and I am proud to call Rincon my hometown. I am equally proud to see the growth with our new Kroger and Chick-fil-A coming soon. Big companies are finally taking note of Rincon and see it as a viable area to bring their business. Now that larger companies are taking note of Rincon, we have the opportunity to grow and add new services to our community.

However, we must be ready to showcase and sell Rincon and provide the infrastructure to support their needs. We gave this responsibility to our city leaders when we voted them into office. They have the responsibility to manage the affairs of the city on your behalf and be your representative when businesses approach them about locating in our community. That is why it is important to have the right people in place.

I served on the Rincon City Council previously and know the time commitment and duties that go with this position. It is not just attending two meetings a month. The council is ultimately accountable for what happens in the city, including but not limited to, overseeing the budget, dealing with personnel issues, and meeting with business leaders to attract new companies to our area. They are involved with the daily operations and meeting with developers, other elected officials, attending classes and spending time talking with the residents who have issues that need a resolution.

That is why the election on March 1 is so important. There is one seat and two candidates running and it is up to us to vote the right person into this seat. This is the person who will represent you and Rincon and to whom you are entrusting the management of the affairs of Rincon on your behalf. So please go out and vote.

On March 1 there will be two places to vote. One is the Vernon Hinely Center building to vote for the Rincon City Council seat and then your regular voting place for the primaries. I stress this because most people do not know they have to go to different sites to vote.

We do not always pay a lot of attention to local elections and just go with the way the majority vote. However, I cannot stress enough how important this election is for Rincon and its residents. Do not leave it up to the other person. Your candidate needs your vote.

Council meetings are held twice a month and I encourage you to attend or at least find out what is going on in Rincon. Take the time to get to know your council members.

Gussie A. Nease