Do you think a new traffic light on a busy street is needed in your town? Would you like new businesses to open nearby? Would you like to drive 65 m.p.h.? Would you like to change the cost of car insurance? Does a park in your town need a new basketball court? All of these issues are addressed by local and state lawmakers.

I am a 20-year-old member of the Board of Education of the Florence Township School District. I was first elected to the board at age 18, while still in high school. Most of my friends couldn't understand why I would want to serve on the board. But my candidacy made perfect sense: I was interested in improving the school system.

I had a thousand ideas on new courses, extracurricular activities, block scheduling. I knew that property taxes were a tough issue so I began to think of creative ways to implement new programs without raising taxes. For example, there were no honors English classes, but there were five ninth-grade English classes. By grouping honors students in one of those classes, the honors students reap the benefits without an extra cent from the taxpayers.

1/2Obviously, I couldn't achieve every goal1/2, but a lot has been accomplished. I was elected in April 1996 and by September, our high school offered advanced placement biology and English classes, as well as honors English in seventh through 12th grades. Subsequently, we have added sociology, television and film courses, and advanced-placement calculus, just to name a few. Our budget went down the first year, remained constant the second year, and we had a small increase this year. In 1998-99, the voters approved the Florence school budget for only the second time in more than 15 years. I would still like to be able to offer more classes, more variety, as well as block scheduling, but I have learned that you can't do everything, at least not in three years.

The experience also has been frustrating, with meetings that run for four or five hours until late into the night. It is very time-consuming. As a full-time college student with a part-time job, I don't have that much free time. Much of my "free" time is spent in full-board or committee meetings. Why would I spend my free time here? I think I have something to offer to the community. I can help the students, the parents, and the taxpayers in my town and feel satisfied in my efforts.

My commitment to public service stems from reading about President John F. Kennedy and President Clinton, as well as from my experience of working for local Democratic races. In 1992, I read some of JFK's speeches and I was inspired. That summer, I decided to volunteer for the Burlington County Democratic Party, working in the presidential and local campaigns. It was a great experience and I learned about local offices - sheriff, country freeholder, township council - as well as state and national races.

Elective office is not for everyone, but you don't have to run for office to make a difference in your community. Get informed about the issues and the candidates, or work with a community group and you can positively influence your town and state. For example, if you enjoy sports, why not volunteer for your township's recreation program and help coach children in baseball or basketball? Too often, I hear my college classmates complain that tuition is too high or that their car insurance is ridiculous. When I ask if they voted, they usually answer, "No." Well, you shouldn't complain about decisions your state officials make if you don't vote. Each vote matters, especially in local races. Last April, I was reelected to the school board with 321 votes. Only 79 votes separated the first and the last candidate.

Your vote is your voice - please shout this November.

Jaime Fauver

Florence