EDITORIAL: Olanta residents, leaders need unity for town’s success

The candidates who ran in Olanta’s recent elections talked about the need to build unity among the town’s residents. It’s natural to see factions develop during contested elections in a community.

The voters have spoken, and Olanta will soon have a new mayor. Now is the time for any healing that needs to happen among the factions within the town, and that’s something we would be encouraging regardless of which candidate had won.

We’re accustomed to the warring Democrat and Republican factions around the nation. Bipartisanship is spoken of so often, but rarely ever becomes a reality. People come from so many different walks of life that in many cases it seems impossible to reconcile political beliefs to reach a compromise.

In small towns with nonpartisan elections, we have to take a different approach. We all have to live closely together and see each other on a daily basis, so it’s important to remain civil.

Most of us live in these small towns because we love them. We might be attached to it because we grew up here. Some people’s jobs might bring them into a little community, but they stay because they grow to enjoy the atmosphere and slower pace of life.

Love for one’s town ideally should translate into a concern for fellow residents as well as a desire to see the town succeed. As we struggle to overcome a national economic downturn, the time couldn’t be more crucial to ensure our communities are on solid financial ground.

Mayor-elect Jimmy McCutcheon has said government must be transparent in its operations. We agree and hope town officials will be honest with residents whether the news is good or bad. More information is better than not enough, because a lack of information breeds distrust and an even greater lack of understanding of how our government works.

Olanta has faced some major challenges in the past several years, as have many other small towns in our area. Town leaders have had to tackle water and sewer emergencies, and they’re also working to catch up on audits from previous years.

We know everyone has the best of intentions and that they want Olanta to survive. Olanta is proud of itself as a community. Right now is one of the most important times to maintain that sense of community.

Residents should support one another as well their new and returning leaders while also holding those officials accountable for improving the town.