The selection of a president is critical for a strong national presence. Presidential duties guide domestic and international affairs.

Voting in local races, however, which is equally critical, is abysmal.

When local elections are held without a major statewide or national race, voter turnout drops off substantially. Voter turnout was less than 20 percent in April 2008 when the only statewide or national races on the ballot were the state Supreme Court and a non-binding referendum, according to the Government Accountability Board (GAB). That compares to a voter turnout in presidential primaries and general elections of 35 and 50 percent, according to the GAB.

But which level of government has a greater impact on your life? A president may make sweeping homelessness initiatives, but they will never help decide where the people gathering in your local parks can find shelter from the cold or a storm.

The quality of anyone’s life is made up of many factors. Standard of living in the community is one. Few people think of their standard of living until it changes. It doesn’t matter whether a person lives on Highland Avenue or Northport Drive. The knowledge and abilities of local officials will impact the standard of living as much or more than at those at the national level.

Every community resident can benefit from a good working knowledge of the common council and its committees. They keep the community vibrant and focused.

The journey leading to the committees of the common council is less complicated than applying for an online dating site. It begins with a visit to the Madison Common Council. The Council meets the first and third Tuesday of every month in the City County Building, Room 201. Clear directions for location, agenda, and how to speak are given on the Madison homepage. The web address is www.cityofmadison.com.  Attending a meeting is a good way to become familiar with the work the Council does. From there a quick trip through the Madison homepage is all that is necessary. Both variety and number of committees are accessible with very little web page maneuvering. You can also find qualifications for joining a committee, and how to provide input.

Committees include both Council members and citizen members. This helps to balance knowledge of council needs and the diversity of community input.

City governance begins with the mayor. Divisions, directors, superintendents and other city officials all report to this position. The Common Council is parallel to the mayoral position. According to the City of Madison home page the Council makes recommendations to the mayor. In turn the Council is independently charged with some decisions. A two-thirds vote by the Council can overturn any veto by the mayor. This being the case, it is crucial for the council members to have accurate information.

This is where the Council committees fit in. The committees, according to information at the City of Madison website, conduct most of the preliminary work for council members to make their decisions. With the committee system citizens with diverse backgrounds, education and experience can have a bigger role in shaping public policy. It’s a system which allows for more checks and balances on policy by subjecting it to public scrutiny.

There are 44 different committees and subcommittees. Information gathered from the City of Madison website shows they are broken down into five main categories: policy review and development; advising specialized units or programs; hearing individual cases; studying and recommending City action; and civic promotion. The Common Council has the authority to create new committees as they determine a need.  Recommendations for appointments of committee members, citizen or Alder, are made by individuals themselves. Council members, community members, and the mayor also make recommendations. The mayor confirms committee appointments.

The committee application itself isn’t long or in depth. Basic qualifications are few. You must reside in the city of Madison and have no conflicts of interest. Questions are brief and straight-forward. They are similar to a job application. After some basic information there are questions about committees of interest and those previously served on. Applicants are asked about previous public service. There are also questions about relevant qualifications, education, and work experience. In order to ensure no conflict of interest a Statement of Interests form is supplied.

The real question is, are committee members qualified?  Does the Council get solid information and recommendations? City Alderman Mark Clear said,  “the questions are not necessarily as important as the answers.”  He believes the mayor needs enough information to know if the prospective member will be a good fit. “There may be a lot of writing on a page,” Clear said. This does not guarantee enough of the crucial information. The best application, he believes, includes the main qualifications concisely written. This allows for the time pressed mayor to identify good candidates quickly. Sometimes the mayor or a Council member already knows the candidate. In this case the application process is just a formality. Clear believes most committee members, both from the Council and private citizens, are qualified, informed and engaged.

Committees may meet twice a month if an important vote is coming up in the council. Others may only meet every few months. Homework and research vary as well. Some members may be working every night while others may work only weekly. Scheduling of committee times and dates can be a nightmare. Almost all members have busy work and family commitments.

Clear said finding committee members is “a tough challenge.” There is a limited pool of people interested in serving. “We need to get the word out,” Clear said.

Diversity of input improves the city. It improves the Council as well, he said. The committees of the Common Council give governance an important element of range of background and opinion.

Community members need to be actively engaged in the governance of their local communities. Voting is just one small way they can do it. Even more important, and certainly less frequently considered, is serving on local committees to help guide community leaders through their decision-making process. If you want to have an impact on your local community, don’t hesitate, pitch in and join a committee.