Dart to the East Spencer Post Office for what appears to be failures to provide basic services on a routine basis.

Frequent users of the facility say its hours and package prices are inconsistent. When its closed, people are directed to the Salisbury location. In one instance, resident Carolyn Logan told the Post, her mailbox was full of someone else’s mail instead of medical documents she expected.

For his part, postmaster Rodrick Cole said a major staffing shortage and the holiday season have led to inconsistent hours and decisions to open the Salisbury location or the East Spencer one. He told the East Spencer Board of Alderman on Nov. 10 about some logistical changes to make up for past issues.

Still, the issues described by local residents and former City Councilman Kenny Hardin, who’s trying to help fix problems, must be solved as expeditiously as possible. Even as people have turned to digital methods for communication, the U.S. Postal Service is a critical piece of the country’s infrastructure. It’s one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the U.S. Constitution.

Laurel to millions in private investment in downtown Salisbury during a pandemic.

The 2020-2021 annual report from Downtown Salisbury Inc. states $8 million in private investment was joined by $2.2 million in public money downtown. It brought a net increase of 39 full-time jobs, 34 part-time jobs and 162 new residential units. There was a net increase of 11 businesses and 27 interior renovations. It was a good time to be in downtown Salisbury.

With any luck, the momentum will snowball into more private investment this year and next. More residential units, in particular will help with the vitality of downtown Salisbury. Developers are already hard at work to make that happen.

Dart to proposals to make municipal races partisan.

Because both Republican and Democratic party leaders say they’re OK with the proposal, the Rowan GOP’s planned request to put partisan affiliation on the ballot for city council and town board races seems sure to pass.

Local parties must realize making municipal races partisan makes it easy for low-information voters to only pick candidates because of the “R” or “D” next to their name. It’ll be easier to vote with a party instead of considering the nuance behind local issues. While there are vastly different approaches to governing in the legislature, Congress or statewide offices, the nuts and bolts of municipal government have nothing to do with the Republican or Democratic parties.

There’s no partisan way to pass a balanced budget or consider a zoning matter. City and town managers hired by board members must have a set of basic management skills.

Endorsements have reached the point of no return, but let’s keep partisan politics off the ballot for city councils and town boards.