OUR TURN: New councils, boards facing tough issues

Now that the elections are over, it is time to start building bridges.

It is true that some of the races were contentious, and others, though crowded, still had lower voter turnout than expected.

Though ripples from some of these contests will still be felt for a while, the best course of action now for new and incumbent politicians is to move on.

The dust has settled, or it will soon, from the nine races Burnet County alone saw earlier this month.

Now it is time to look ahead.

Too many serious issues still face the communities of the Highland Lakes for bickering and old grudges to get in the way.

Consensus must be built. Alliances forged. Partnerships made.

The races in Marble Falls are a prime example.

The new City Council must soon confront a number of challenges.

The three new members and their four colleagues are facing a serious city deficit, dissatisfaction from area merchants on Main Street, a dwindling sales tax and looming water challenges.

And while the positions on the Marble Falls Independent School District board went unchallenged, that doesn’t mean trustees there don’t also face some tough choices.

For one, they are just beginning the search for a new superintendent. He or she will be the chief executive who sets the tone for a quality education for local kids.

They eventually will also have to consider how to fulfill the district’s obligation to the state-mandated Robin Hood school finance laws which, as the name suggests, require property-tax rich districts to share with poorer school systems.

Though the system has been in place for years, few have ever considered the system equitable.

The School Board may someday even have to raise taxes to remain in compliance with state law.

That probably won’t make any of the trustees very popular.

But politics should never be about popularity, just doing what’s right.

In other words, doing what’s good for the people.

Solving these many issues won’t necessarily require the wisdom of Solomon, but they will call for hard choices.

The elected officials must weigh their decisions carefully and hope they are the right ones.

But they must also listen — to their hearts and to their constituents. It will not always be an easy conversation to hear.

But then again, no one forced them to run for office.

Still, we’re glad they cared enough to do so, and we wish all of them the best of luck.