It takes a special person to serve on the Eanes school board or Rollingwood or West Lake Hills city councils, and area residents have shown a willingness to serve in recent years. Filing for candidacy in these races runs through March 8, and we hope for the voters’ sake that this trend continues.

Having choices in each race ensures for lively debate and brings important issues to the forefront that might otherwise not be explored until a new council or school board member casts a deciding vote on an issue that could have significant consequences. City Councils make decisions that can strike close to home, and that is perhaps why races can become heated.

In the Eanes school board election, places up for grabs are Place 6, currently held by Mike Monnig, and Place 7, currently held by Ellen Balthazar. A concurrent special election will also be held to fill the Place 5 seat vacated by Gail King last August.

In Rollingwood, incumbents Mayor Dale Dingley and alder people Brian Nalle and Shanthi Jayakumar are running for re-election. Nalle and Jayakumar will face all comers in an at-large election in which the top two vote-getters win, and the mayors race is a traditional head-to-head election.

In West Lake Hills, seats of Mayor Dave Claunch and council members Place 4 Cindy Probst and Place 2 Andrew Schwartz will be up for grabs.

Similarly, the Eanes school board makes decisions that can affect area residents’ most important treasures, our children. To think that one person cannot make a difference is simply an erroneous assumption.

The Westlake Picayune will once again run question-and-answer profiles on all of the candidate in opposed local races leading up to Election Day on May 8, but we hope neighborhood associations or local civic groups will also hold candidate forums to provide opportunities for areas residents to meet the candidates face to face. We encourage residents to take advantage of these opportunities.

But first, candidates must step up and make a difficult commitment to serve. It is not easy because we are talking about nonpaying jobs that can adversely impact our family life and livelihood. It is a commitment too few of us are willing to make. The pay comes only in the satisfaction in knowing that he or she did his or her best to improve or at least preserve the quality of life that prompted most of us to move here.

Those willing to do this, and willing to take criticism whether it is deserved or not, merit heartfelt thanks from their constituents.