One may hear folks in the grocery store commenting on how the city spends money. One may hear folks in church talking about how the county spends money. One may hear folks eating lunch in the break room as they talk about how much money, if any, the town should spend on a new park.

Yes, one can find people talking about local governments’ budgets almost anywhere — except at public hearings conducted so people can provide input about those budgets. Most of the time, few people bother to attend such hearings to voice their concerns about how the town, city or county will spend taxpayers’ money. Sometimes, no one shows up at such a hearing to make a suggestion on how that taxpayers’ money should be spent.

That’s a shame. Yes, we have the right to complain about what we consider bad fiscal choices made by elected officials. Yes, we have the right to question fiscal policies enacted by elected officials. We also have an obligation as responsible citizens and taxpayers to have a say in how the town, city or county allocates the money it receives from taxpayers.

It’s the responsibility of county commissioners or council members, respectively, to come up with a budget for the county or city, respectively, you say. There’s truth in that statement. But without input and oversight from those who elected them to office, those commissioners and council members could make wrong decisions regarding how taxpayers’ money is spent. Ultimately, taxpayers should have the final say in how taxpayers’ money is spent.

Many Beaufort County taxpayers want to decide by way of a referendum on whether to spend taxpayers’ money to build a new public-safety facility (including a new jail) in the county. They have lobbied for just such a referendum. That’s getting involved in the budget process.

More Beaufort County taxpayers should become as involved in other budget matters, whether as county residents or as residents of one of the municipalities in the county. Who better to decide how a town, city or county should spend money than those who live in that town, city or county?

If you want to make a difference when it comes to spending taxpayers’ money, attend a public hearing on a budget and speak up. After all, it’s your money.