Advocating for Advocacy: How your voice and actions matter.

It is fairly well known that compared to other developed democracies, the United States has consistently low citizen participation in the political process. When asked why they do not vote, the most common answers include some version of “my one vote won’t make a difference”, “nothing ever changes”, or “no one listens anyway”. When it comes to voting, all there is to respond with is that these sentiments are true, if you don’t vote. Politicians have no incentive to listen, respond, or change based on the views of non-voters. Voting however is not the only way that citizens can make themselves heard. In this post we want to highlight some recent examples of participatory democracy in action right here in Columbia County in the hope that it will motivate more of the citizens in our community to participate in the local political process.

            In the November 2024 election, Georgia voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that allowed the measures of H.B. 581 to go into effect. H.B. 581 was a property tax reform law that allowed taxing entities (counties, municipalities, school boards) to provide a measure of property tax relief to homeowners and replace some of that revenue with sales taxes. One aspect of the law however required that these entities then had to vote on whether or not they would stay within or opt out of its provisions. This, in turn, required those entities to have public hearings in order to hear public comments on the matter. For those of us who value public participation in all aspects of the political process, these hearings were a thing of beauty.

            At the first H.B. 581 meeting held by the Columbia County Board of Commissioners it was clear that most of the commissioners were inclined to stay within the provisions of the bill. It makes sense that their political instincts leaned towards providing property tax relief for homeowners and recouping that revenue with a sales tax. Over the course of the three required hearings (the Columbia County BoC ended up having four because of inclement weather – itself another win for participatory democracy) it became clear that there was a great deal of misunderstanding among county citizens about what the ballot measure authorized, how it would be implemented, and what its effects would be. County officials also showed an increased awareness of the details and long term impact as discussions continued. Citizens from a wide variety of backgrounds and with different perspectives and priorities spoke at each meeting both in favor of and opposed to staying in the provisions of H.B. 581. In fact, people who voted for the ballot measure in November came out to speak encouraging the commissioners to opt out after they learned more about the bill. When it came time to vote, having listened to community input and researched more deeply into the provisions of the bill, the Columbia County BoC voted to opt out. Whether or not one believes this was the best choice, the process and how it played out is a remarkable example showing the power of public participation in all aspects of the political process. While there is no way to be positive, it is certainly arguable that the feedback and insightful and probing questions of the community were a determining factor in the ultimate choice of the commissioners. It seems likely that had they not been pushed to provide more detailed and specific information, they would not have learned as much about the bill’s full implications and very well may have stuck with their initial inclinations. This recent episode is a shining example of the power of public participation beyond the act of voting. Citizens showed up to the hearings to speak and listen. The county held an extra hearing to ensure full access for participation. Citizens and commissioners encouraged and inspired each other to learn more about the issue. And in the end, those who actually had to make the choice recognized that their initial inclinations were likely misguided and voted to opt out. As a lesson in civics, it simply does not get any better than this.

            Attending meetings and speaking in public is not the only way to impact government decisions. In late April (2024), members of the Freedom to Read Coalition of Columbia County (F2RCCC) discovered through open records requests that the Columbia County Library was considering withdrawing from the state library system. Concerned about the impact this would have on library resources and funding, F2RCCC immediately began a public information campaign to ensure the citizens of the county were aware of what was going on. This effort included a petition drive which received over 800 signatures in just about a week. Members also signed up to speak against the move at the May 6th BoC meeting and obtained a permit for a public demonstration outside the Evans Library on May 10th. As it turns out, the commissioners voted (before public comments were heard) not to withdraw from the state system but instead to withdraw from the Greater Clarks Hill Regional system and form a single county region effective January 1, 2026. Those who signed up to speak still said their piece, with some modifications since the vote had already occurred, and the May 10th demonstration still occurred with a slightly changed focus. Someone with a dismissive attitude might argue that the speeches before the BoC and the protest the following weekend had no impact since they came after the vote. We disagree with this view because those events did not happen in isolation. The commissioners were aware of the petition, the speakers signed up to oppose withdrawal, and the scheduled demonstration. The records obtained by F2RCCC strongly indicate that county leadership were inclined to leave the state system in mid to late April. The fact that they voted not to do so just a week or so later is strong evidence that even the promise of public backlash had an impact on their decision.

            We have three goals in highlighting these recent local issues. First, we hope to show that a defeatist attitude that participating in politics is not impactful is misguided. Second, we wish to emphasize that voting is not the only way to participate in politics. And finally, we want to remind citizens that despite what it may feel like sometimes, national level politics is not the only political game that matters. Neither of these cases involved citizens voting at the ballot box. Instead, the change effected involved citizens showing up and making their views heard at public hearings and through free and open communication with political leaders and the public. Finally, none of this had anything to do with national politics. These were state and local issues addressed by local citizens in front of local political leaders. These local elected leaders were the only ones to vote on anything and in both instances, the evidence strongly indicates that they were persuaded by the public to vote differently than they had originally intended. This is exactly how it is supposed to work. But it only works properly if citizens participate. So to anyone who believes their voice doesn’t make a difference: you are correct, but only if you don’t use it.