ASHLAND — Talk the Vote was a foreign concept to voters in Ashland and Knox counties just one week ago.
But around 80 people sacrificed an hour of their time this week to gather with peers to have meaningful discussion surrounding local issues in Ashland, Mount Vernon and Fredericktown.
To those who participated, thank you. Sincerely.
At times, discussions were heated. Passionate. Articulate. There were also awkward pauses as people pondered thoughtful questions. We ended each night, though, with a more informed electorate.
Here’s a brief rundown of what happened and what you can expect coming up in the weeks and months following these meaningful events.
• We had productive conversations around Mount Vernon, Ashland and Fredericktown council issues. We also discussed school board issues in Ashland and Fredericktown. Voters brought up homelessness in Mount Vernon, parking in Ashland and fostering better communication between Fredericktown council and residents.
• We wish we had more time to discuss a weighted grading system in Ashland City Schools. Or how Fredericktown Village Council should spend its allocation of American Rescue Plan dollars. Or how Mount Vernon council could address a growing homeless problem.
• There were great questions about why it seems like the relationship between Ashland council and the Ashland school board is weak. Could it be strengthened? Is there a need there? In Mount Vernon, how should the government get involved with the city’s homelessness issue? And in Fredericktown: how could the village’s school district do better at encouraging its students to pursue vocational careers?
At Source Media Properties, we value these sorts of events because it builds trust between our readers and journalists.
These sessions will prove to not just be beneficial to voters and elected officials. They will help us, as journalists, pursue stories that matter to you.
And speaking of benefits, let us not forget that everything discussed during these sessions will be compiled into a “Citizens’ Agenda.” We believe your ideas carry value. So we will take all those notes and create a document that you, the elected officials and the general public can reference in the future.
Think of the Citizens’ Agenda as a blueprint that you, the architect, helped put together.
Expect those to be presented to newly elected councils and school boards in the coming months so those individuals know exactly what their constituents care about.
Thanks again to all of you who decided to brave the unknown. We hope to continue to host Talk the Vote in the future.
Become a member for less than $5 a month and support work like this. Learn more about that here.
