Filing will begin next month for the April 6 municipal and school board elections and, as in past years, the Call encourages residents to toss their hat in the ring and serve their fellow citizens.

Filing will begin at 8 a.m. Dec. 16 and continue through 5 p.m. Jan. 20. A variety of posts are up for election, including two seats each on the Lindbergh and Mehlville boards of education, aldermanic seats in the cities of Crestwood, Green Park and Sunset Hills and the Sunset Hills mayoral seat currently held by James Hobbs.

As we’ve written before, democracy comes with enormous responsibilities. Besides voting, our democratic process demands that we have good candidates who offer clear choices to the electorate. Those who feel strongly about local issues shouldn’t hesitate to toss their hat in the ring. Unfortunately, it’s far easier to complain instead of running for office and trying to change things yourself. We agree wholeheartedly with what Crestwood Mayor Jim Robertson said at a recent meeting when confronted by a resident who wanted a citizen oversight panel established.

Referring to the Board of Aldermen, he responded, “… There is a citizens’ advisory board. They’re sitting here. They had the dedication and devotion to volunteer themselves to the electoral process, go through what a campaign takes, get elected and come up here and serve you. Now if you want to be part of a citizens’ advisory board, December’s coming up, take your $5, go to the clerk’s office, get a petition, get the signatures and expose yourself to the electoral process. It’s not fun. These people work very hard out of their own time …”

Frankly, we’re baffled by some of the mud being splattered on Crestwood’s current administration, particularly by the Crestwood Smart Growth Alliance and its owner, Kelley Isherwood of Oakville.

We believe Crestwood residents should be extremely wary of private businesses such as the CSGA that have their own agendas for political or personal gain.

Frankly, it’s hard enough to find good people who are willing to serve their fellow residents and Mr. Isherwood and his three-ring circus can only serve to discourage good citizens from coming forth to serve in elected office. Given the fact that Mr. Isherwood refuses to reveal the membership of the CSGA, perhaps he’s just a puppet for someone else’s political agenda or vendetta.