Rowan County has so many appointed boards and commissions that no one has a complete list of the boards and all their members.
But one thing’s certain: The county has vacancies it cannot fill on some of its advisory boards — and there’s bound to be one to which you could make a positive contribution.
Want to be an advocate for some of the community’s most vulnerable residents? Sign up for the Adult Care Home Community board. It has seven vacancies.
Are you interested in Rowan’s rural heritage and preserving its character? Would you like to help promote a driving tour of the county’s historic churches? The Landmarks Commission has four vacancies.
Do you have concerns about county government’s hiring practices and how fairly its employees are treated? The Personnel Committee has an opening.
Would you like to help enforce the county’s zoning laws? The Zoning Board of Adjustment needs another member and an alternate.
The list of openings commissioners have to fill goes on and on. Every volunteer fire department also has a board that needs appointees. The county has a rule that no one should serve more than two consecutive terms on a board, but commissioners often reappoint people over and over for lack of new volunteers. High-profile boards like the county planning board have more than enough people interested in serving. There, the two-term rule helps make room for new appointees.
At election time, people often say if you don’t vote, you can’t complain. But if you don’t do anything but vote, you still may not be doing all you can to make local government the best it can be. Go to the county’s website at http://www.rowancountync.gov/ and check out the list of advisory boards. There’s bound to be one that could use your input. Rowan County has more than 91,000 registered voters. Surely more have the time and talent to serve the county.
“You must get involved to have an impact,” said Napoleon Hill, adviser to FDR and a proponent of achievement. “No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee.” Nor with catcalls from spectators on the sidelines.