What You Should Know Before You Vote Tomorrow In The Tuscaloosa Municipal Election . . .

What You Should Know Before You Vote Tomorrow in The Tuscaloosa Municipal Election . . .

On tomorrow, March 2, 2021 Tuscaloosa Municipal Election time rolls around again for Mayor, City Council, and Tuscaloosa City Schools Board of Education. The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. If you are voting absentee, those ballots are due back to the City Clerk's Office by 5 p.m. today!

There are some things that you may or may not know about Municipal elections. The following information should assist you in deciding who you will vote for on tomorrow.

• City Council: City council members mainly oversee local legislative matters, and manage major areas of operation, such as infrastructure, land management, and finance. Council members are elected to represent their geographic districts, and collaborate to improve their district and the city. The exact responsibilities of a council vary with each city. You can find necessary information by searching your local government's webpage.
• Mayor: The mayor oversees the main local departments, including the police, fire, education, housing and transportation departments. The responsibility of the mayor varies based on the local government structure, and size of the city. For example, electing the mayor of Tuscaloosa is far different than a suburb or rural area of Atlanta. The very complexity of responsibilities will differ based upon the composition of the city.
• School Board: School boards are made up of typically three, five, or seven community members who oversee the we-being of their local school district. Responsibilities include hiring the superintendent, voting on the adoption of new policies to assist school achieve their goals, and listening to feedback from guardians of students and local community members at school board meetings.

All of these roles play an important part in your local municipality. Your vote helps determine how certain functions of your city operate and change. As you research each candidate, there are three things that you should consider:

• Prior Experience: What is their background relating to the role? What makes them uniquely qualified to serve your city?
• Local Needs: The needs of a city are different in many ways. Each city has its own structure, culture, and specific needs. In the normal daily life, what aspects of local life do you feel are most important to you? What aspects of your city are community members discussing?
• Position/Stand: Has each candidate released statements regarding their positions on major (key) matters pertaining to your city?

Tomorrow is a very,very important day in the life of the City of Tuscaloosa and its residents. Please do not remain at home and fail to cast your vote in this Municipal Election. IF YOU DON'T VOTE, DON'T SQUAWK!!

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