There’s a belief among many of those who hold public office that all politics is local.

If it were possible, you could just ask Tip O’Neill.

Some of you may remember him. For those who’ve never heard of the man, Thomas P. O’Neill was a lifelong Massachusetts Democrat who served in that state’s government before being catapulted into national prominence by winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives vacated when another well known political type, John F. Kennedy, was elected as that state’s senator.

O’Neill eventually rose to the position of Speaker of the House, serving in that capacity during the administrations of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

“The Tipster,” as some in the national media referred to him, realized the importance of serving his local constituents.

After all, it’s how he kept getting reelected during his career, which spanned a half-century. He’d be the first to admit that a candidate has to work hard to stay in office.

I can spend hours writing about O’Neill, but it’s his message that’s important here.

The idea that an office holder represents the people who put them in office is a basic tenet of American politics.

And nowhere is that idea better illustrated than by what will take place in Tuesday’s general election.

National media calls this an off-year election since there’s no president, senator or governor running for office. And that’s OK.

But the hopefuls who come out with a “W” on Wednesday morning mean far more to the people they represent than anyone working under the Capitol dome in Harrisburg or Washington D.C.

On Tuesday, voters will choose men and women who for a long time will affect the quality of life in the municipalities they serve.

Sure, there will be candidates for seats in levels of the state judicial system. Though their work affects us all, those folks aren’t the ones we see on a regular basis.

The others are the important ones.

Magistrates, commissioners, county row officers, mayors, council members, supervisors, school board members and any other offices on the ballot are filled by elected officials we deal with all the time.

They’re more accessible. Anyone stands a chance of seeing one of them at a supermarket, a gas station or church. They’re local. They pay taxes here, too.

All the candidates in the region’s boroughs and townships affect us every day.

The winners in Tuesday’s balloting will help set the rules for educating our children. They’re the ones who pave the streets and plow the snow. They keep the peace. They set our tax rates, then spend that money in ways they hope will make the place they live a better one for themselves and others.

Local officials discuss and deal with all kinds of things that people complain about in their community.

Most important, though, is that they chart our future and set the standard for our quality of life in the coming years.

And after all these years in the newspaper business, one might think I’d be suspicious of local politicians. Early in my career, that may have been the case.

But after sitting through countless council meetings, supervisors’ sessions and budget battles, I came to realize that at the local level, the majority of elected officials have good intentions.

There certainly have been exceptions, but they’ve been few and far between.

Elected officials aren’t all experts. They don’t have all the answers to the many questions they’ll be asked.

These days, our nation is more politically divided than ever. Social media lets people who disagree hide behind screens and keyboards to criticize and ridicule.

Often, office holders are the targets. Just look at the national circus that surrounds names like Trump and Biden.

Though there may have been one or two, I’ve not yet personally run across a local office holder who’s gone through anything nearly as serious.

Tuesday’s elections aren’t about them. They’re about everyone else.

Ideally, the folks seeking office aren’t always going to agree with each other. They’re not going to agree with some of the people they represent. They may not always be right, either.

But at least they’re open to an honest dialogue and exchange of ideas that keeps our government moving despite the bumps along the way.

Apathy is a community’s biggest enemy. Excuses don’t fuel progress. If you don’t vote, don’t complain when something’s not happening the way you want it to go.

On Tuesday, local voters have the opportunity to pick the people they think will do the best job moving their communities forward.

And on Tuesday, all the candidates ask for is their chance.

One way or another, it’s up to us to see they get it.

ED SOCHA/TNEDITOR@TNONLINE.COM

Ed Socha is a retired newspaper editor with more than 40 years experience in community journalism. Reach him at tneditor@tnonline.com.

The foregoing opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editorial Board or Times News LLC.