D. Gary Davis

Today gives us the opportunity to say "thank you" to those who have served in elected office who have chosen not to seek re-election or who may have lost their re-election bid in the latest election cycle.

Today also gives our community the opportunity to say welcome to those who have been newly elected to serve in the latest election cycle.

The official swearing-in ceremony was held at the Bradley County Courthouse plaza earlier this morning. This is a time of great celebration and also a powerful reminder of the trust, value and high expectations of each who pledge to do their best to serve us all in their respective elected offices and positions.

With training from Nashville, and this ceremony being completed, they will all now be official officeholders and will either begin, or continue, their duties to serve the citizens of our community.

While these events are a good way to witness your government in action, and the process of an orderly “transfer of power” within our region, it is also a vivid reminder of many facts.

Every vote truly does matter. We all have a responsibility in who we elect to represent and serve the citizens of our community. The process of good government is truly that, a process.

This does not end after the election, but is developed over time like any relationship worth having in this life. If a person is not representing your viewpoint, that is your time to contact them and let them know. If they are representing your viewpoint, that is also your time to contact them and let them know.

If you only contact an individual with criticism every time, or go overboard on the compliments every time, this will limit your effectiveness in communicating with any elected officeholder whether they be local, state or federal. It truly is up to you on how you not only contact your elected officials, but in some ways in how they relate back to you.

Personally, I would like to thank the 13,817 voters who took the time to cast a vote for me to continue as your Bradley County mayor. With a total of only 24.72 percent of the voters who chose to cast their vote in the recent State Primary and County General Election cycle, we still have room to improve the voter turnout at the local level.

My thanks also goes out to each and every candidate who chose to place his or her name on the ballot regardless of the outcome of their election, and to each and every voter who participated in the latest election. Our cities, county, state and even our nation become stronger when we all choose to participate in the election process.

This is evident from Bradley County’s long history of people who chose to make a difference and place service above self. This rich heritage, this current tradition and our future success depend on our continued involvement with, and for, each other.

In doing so, we ensure that Bradley County continues to be Tennessee at its best!