The return of incumbents to the Freeborn County board is telling: a majority of the people evidently believe that overall the board is doing its job of representing constituents and making decisions which benefit the county.

County issues are complex and never as simple as they first appear. There are many factors which commissioners take into account to decide the best course of action on issues it hears.

That said, commissioners must do a better job of informing the public and be open to hearing from a broad base of residents. If they want to change their image from the current one to one that is beyond repoach, it must change how it does business.

Of course, residents must also be willing to meet the board half-way. Showy antics and personal attacks must be stopped. The commissioners are real people with real feelings and no matter how thick a skin they develop, they are still human.

Maturity and professionalism will be met with maturity and professionalism, and someone has to be the first to raise the standard. As elected officials, we expect commissioners to lead the way.

Residents and commissioners have to find a way to put past differences aside for the county to continue moving forward. There’s no doubt in our mind that what’s best for the county is what we all seek.