After a recent meeting, someone remarked it was interesting that more people showed up for a meeting about potential restrictions on fences in Washington’s historic district than did at any budget meeting for the city or the county.

It seems as though only a dedicated few attend local meetings. That’s probably because most of the work done by councilmen, aldermen, commissioners and mayors across the county can be rather dull and dry, as are the inner workings of any government. They discuss issues and make decisions about how taxpayers’ money should be, and is, spent. It may not be exciting, but the work they do important, whether that’s deciding to provide the money to keep teaching assistants employed in Beaufort County while state legislators continue to postpone the budget or deciding to keep fees reasonable for children whose lives are made better through sports in city leagues.

It takes someone who truly cares about his or her community to run for any office.

As early voting and Election Day approach, many candidates are making appearances — speaking to civic groups, going door to door, holding events — to get their names, faces, ideas and platforms out in the public.

At the Washington Daily News, an election guide is in its beginning phases. When complete, it will have all the information any voter needs to know, from early voting satellite office locations and hours, to what responsibilities each office entails, to candidate profiles of each and every person running for office, in their own words. The election guide will be included in the Oct. 18 edition of the Washington Daily News.

Until then, however, each and every resident of a municipality in Beaufort County should do a little bit of research; find out how candidates feel about subjects that are important each individual.

These are the people who might be making decisions that affect city residents in the future. Make those votes count by being informed.