The importance of voting locally

If you’re reading this on or before Nov. 8, please vote in this General Election! You do NOT have to vote on every candidate/ proposition/measure, but we Inyo County voters have important decisions to make at every level of government, from school district boards to county board to state Assembly to United States Congress.

If you want representatives who have visited us multiple times to learn how issues uniquely affect our area – including water, wildfires, and affordable housing – vote for Dr. Kermit Jones and Tim Robertson. Likewise if – regardless of what you would choose for yourself – you believe medical decisions should be left between families and their health care providers.

Locally, there’s Kody Jaeger for District 3 and Jeff Gabriel for District 1, both of whom have the background and skills necessary to improve our county moving forward. Jennifer Slayton is running for Kern Community College District Area 2 and has the experience needed to represent East Kern and the Eastern Sierra. Please don’t think this contest only affects Kern, the KCCD includes campuses in Inyo and Mono as well.

That’s not to mention all of the school board positions. For example, there are many excellent candidates running for the three open Bishop positions, including Toni Huff, Virginia Figueroa, Claudia Moya-Tanner Ph.D., Ambroshia Nalinlae Stone, Earl Lent III, and Gail Sue Wallace. My advice? Talk with friends, family, and neighbors who share your values. The school board affects everyone who lives in our community. They are guiding how our youngest community members will grow and shaping how they will interact and affect our community now and in the future.

Tiffany Lau

Bishop