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o matter what lies in the details, when put up to the task of ensuring things go right – experience is everything. It is what helps in the toughest of times. It is what makes the difference between great and mediocre. 

When it comes to our government’s leadership, this notion rings just as true. It is vital to have those making decisions at that level be well accustomed to their position. One great way of ensuring this familiarity is retained through numerous election cycles is to have staggered terms in office. 

In staggering the seats in a 5-4 offset from one another, a safety net is established to make sure that even if an entire legislature gets replaced over time, there are a handful of people experienced in leading the legislature available to lend their wisdom. This change recently sat before the legislature but was tabled for later in order to give voters the chance to learn more about the idea, and we hope that the Sullivan County Legislature will return to talking about it soon. It could one day be the difference between knowing and not knowing what to do next.

On the flip side of the same coin, having a wave of legislators incoming or outgoing would offer a surge of new opinions, ideas and individual experiences onto the board all at once. This style would assist in the better portrayal of the vastness of our county’s demographics and make-ups.

However, we feel staggered terms is the way to go.

Speaking of voting, we are gearing up for Election Day in early November. It is extremely important to be up-to-date with who they might mark down on their ballot. While many have been getting to know the candidates running for the past few months, the Democrat will be conducting our “Meet the Candidates” interviews within the coming weeks of October.