Although many folks rail against the federal government — Congress to be more specific — and how it affects them, those folks are more directly affected by local governing bodies like a city council, a school board, a town board of aldermen or a town board of commissioners.

That’s because those governing bodies set local tax rates, set water and sewer rates or determine school districts. That’s why voters should be concerned with who is representing them at the local level.

The filing period for candidates in the upcoming municipal elections begins Monday. No doubt, many of the incumbent candidates will seek re-election. There’s nothing wrong with that. Some local governing bodies have seen few changes in their membership in recent years. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that.

That being said, it would be encouraging to see some new faces with new ideas and new approaches to local problems on local governing bodies.

Voters need and deserve more choices. The more candidates to choose from, the better for voters — probably. A large field of candidates should, hopefully, result in a deeper pool of potential solutions to local issues such as development, fees for municipal services and tax rates. The larger the number of candidates who take their messages to the voters, the better for voters when it comes to making informed choice at the ballot box.

Candidates, voters must know what you stand for. When talking, discuss issues and stay away from campaign rhetoric. Remembers, actions speak louder than words. Take your campaigns to the public by way of civic groups, debates and town hall-style meetings. Go door to door and share your platforms. Spend more time listening to voters than talking at them. The more voters know about you and your platform, the better your chances of getting their votes. The more you interact with voters, the better they understand why you are running for office.

Think you have what it takes to be a public servant. Are you confident you can do a better job than some other elected officials? If so, go to the local board of elections office and file the paperwork to run for office.

If elected, there’s hard work ahead for you — and satisfaction for making a difference.