Florida's primary election was Aug. 28.
In Okaloosa County there are 133,025 people registered to vote. According to statistics from the Okaloosa Supervisor of Elections website, https://enr.electionsfl.org/OKA/Summary/1923, only 35,254 voted in this primary, or 26.5 percent of those eligible.
What a sad turnout. There were other issues on the ballot, besides Governor, U.S. Senator and Congressional Representatives. There were three school board positions, as well as local issues.
Less than 30 percent of eligible voters decided the issues for our county and cities.
It is very easy to vote in Okaloosa County. There are early voting days as well as convenient polling places near our homes.
Voting is a privilege, one that our forefathers fought a war over.
When King George III was on the throne, he and Parliament ruled the "Colonies" as the U.S.A. was known at that time. The colonists, who were British citizens, had no say in how their country was ruled, how much tax they paid and how the taxes were spent.
Taxes were gathered and spent the way the king and the British Parliament wanted, and in some cases taxes went into the royal coffers. The slogan in the colonies became, "No taxation without representation," meaning the colonists wanted a say in where there taxes were spent and taxation was one of the main points for the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.
The city of Crestview's voters decided to hire a City Manager who is answerable to the elected City Council rather than the taxpayers.
There were 1,683 who voted Yes; 1,132 voted No.
I looked up salaries and the median salary for a City Manager is about $86,376. Along with the City Manager's salary, there will be other costs, such as a pension, city vehicle, personal assistant and so on (https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=City_Manager/Salary).
I don't live in the city, however, for a city that has 23,567 residents (more or less), this seems a huge expense to undertake. A total of 551 votes decided the city would take on this financial responsibility.
When taxes, building permits and other city service rates rise, remember that to have a voice in taxation and other city matters, one must vote.
We are fortunate to live in a country where we can freely vote. We need to make our voices heard by taking the time to cast an informed ballot.
Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Voting is a privilege