That three members of the International Falls community offered to serve in an interim position on the Falls City Council is good news.
Even better news would have been 30, 60, or 90 people who would offer to take the at-large position on the council until a new councilor is seated after the November election.
After taking the oath of office Monday, Jerry Franzen, who was appointed to serve in the at-large position, said he takes the appointment seriously and would vote his conscience while on the council.
Franzen got it right when he said as a citizen of International Falls, he owes the city gratitude and his attention.
And the council got it right when they offered appreciation to all willing to serve in this position and encouraged the candidates who sought the interim position, as well as other Falls residents, to consider seeking elected offices as they become available in the future.
Citizenship in a community comes with rights and responsibilities. Among those responsibilities is to stay informed of the issues affecting a community and to participate in the democratic process.
Good community citizenship involves working toward the betterment of the community through economic participation, public service, volunteer work, and other such efforts to improve life for all citizens.
The three people that offered to serve their community deserve credit for stepping up to the plate to help guide the community’s future through the council’s actions.
We applaud those who offered to serve during this interim period on the council and encourage others to consider the responsibilities of citizenship.
