By FRED SWIFT
The County Line
Hamilton County will lose two outstanding public servants as a result of Tuesday’s primary election outcome.
County Prosecutor Lee Buckingham and County Councilor Steve Schwartz have served honorably and effectively the past 12 years. But no one can expect to remain in elective office forever.
Lee Buckingham ran a tight ship, with no visible controversy and reasonable prosecution as he believed appropriate.
Steve Schwartz provided steady leadership on the County Council, always trying to encourage members to work with County Commissioners as he understood a cooperative effort should be.
For whatever reason voters decided it was time for a change. Voters will do that every once in a while. We have to accept that and hope new officials will do their jobs well.
It was disappointing to see how few county citizens participated in the election. For some reason the mistaken idea persists that the primary is not important. Of course, it is of extreme importance when only winners advance to the November general election.
Slightly less that 12 percent of eligible voters took part in Tuesday’s election. That may be the lowest turnout yet for a countywide election.
Would more voters have made the difference in some races? We will never know. But if a person who did not vote is disappointed with the outcome of a particular race, he or she should realize they are part of the problem and consider participating next time.