By Todd Sansbury — Before I was elected to the Cornelius Town Board, I often complained about local government, so my neighbor, David Hansen, challenged me to stop bellyaching and run for local office.

I was honored to win the election and quickly learned I was grossly uninformed. The municipal services provided by the town of Cornelius are delivered in an organized and fiscally responsible manner, which was much different from my pre-election rants about arbitrary decisions and clueless elected officials.

Town staff are experienced, intelligent and approach the town as they would any business. Staff provides direction and recommendations, while the town board casts the deciding votes.

Keyboard warriors often complain that decisions are made in a vacuum or influenced by some mysterious “bag of cash” from developers. Quite the opposite. Decisions are made based on countless hours of research, vetting each scenario, considering impacts on residents and budgets, and ultimately moving forward in the most pragmatic and productive manner.

Sphere of influence

Many people don’t realize that town and county governments can exercise only the powers granted by the North Carolina General Assembly.

Local governments do not have broad authority on many issues. For example, they cannot legally impose impact fees on developers without authorization from the state.

The town’s sphere of influence is mostly limited to public safety, parks and recreation, local infrastructure, land use and, to some extent, economic development. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools has authority over public schools, Charlotte Water manages water and sewer services, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation controls nearly every major road in Cornelius.

Every service in our town — whether public safety, preservation of green space, or the transition to a full-time fire department, all highly popular issues with voters — must be funded. With voters demanding reduced residential growth, that burden must often fall on citizens.

Willing to listen

The commissioners I served with are hardworking, intelligent and caring individuals. They have families and work in the area, their children attend local schools, and they sit in the same traffic and experience the same congestion.

They are available to meet with any resident about any topic, and they make decisions based on what they believe is the best outcome for the town. If you ever have questions or need insight into any town-related topic, I encourage you to reach out to town staff or elected officials and seek clarity before repeating false rhetoric.

I also encourage you to attend town meetings, which are open to the public. Citizen input has tremendous influence on outcomes.

Step up and serve

Representing the town of Cornelius was the privilege of a lifetime. The hours are long, praise is nonexistent, insults and complaints are frequent, and nearly every decision angers someone.

But you learn to navigate the challenges, improve your technique and avoid hurting others. Your elected officials are ordinary citizens who placed themselves in an uncomfortable position because they were willing to step up and represent their community.

Campaigning and running for office are exhausting and expensive, especially while maintaining a full-time career, which applies to most local candidates. I encourage you to be willing to step up and put yourself in that awkward, uncomfortable and visible position.

As Theodore Roosevelt is often quoted as saying, “In any moment of decision, the best thing to do is the right thing. The worst thing to do is nothing.”

Todd Sansbury served three terms on the Cornelius Town Board before stepping down in June because of a career-related relocation.