The Biggest Job Interview in St. Joseph County

I

In a few short weeks, voters across St. Joseph County will make several of the year's most important hiring decisions.

The positions may not come with fancy corner offices, company vehicles, or annual performance reviews, but the people selected will have tremendous influence over our community. We'll elect leaders who will help shape public safety, education, tax policy, government services, economic development, and the overall direction of our county.

Think about that for a moment. We're not simply casting ballots. We're conducting job interviews.

The candidates for races like the South Bend School Board, County Commissioner, County Council, Assessor, Auditor, Prosecutor, Sheriff, and Clerk have already submitted their resumes. Most have highlighted their experience, accomplishments, community involvement, and qualifications. We are now in the interview phase. Over the next few weeks, voters can evaluate not only what these candidates have done, but how they think, how they lead, and what they intend to accomplish.

And frankly, I wish more of the interviews were better.

Turn on a television, listen to the radio, check your mailbox, or scroll through social media and you'll find plenty of campaign messages. Unfortunately, many feel more like attacks than interviews.

One candidate tells you why their opponent is wrong. The other responds by explaining why the first candidate is worse. Before long, voters know exactly what candidates dislike about one another but very little about how either plans to lead. I've never really understood this approach.

Most successful businesses spend their time explaining their value proposition, solving customer problems, and demonstrating why consumers should choose them. They don't build entire marketing campaigns around criticizing the competition.

Yet in politics, negative campaigning often becomes the default strategy. Attack the opponent. Question their motives. Undermine their credibility. Somewhere along the way, the discussion about actual leadership gets lost. As voters, we should demand more.

Tell us what your priorities are. Tell us what success looks like. Tell us what you want this community to become over the next four years and how you intend to help get us there. Tell us how you'll make difficult decisions when competing interests collide. Most importantly, tell us what responsibilities actually belong to the office you're seeking.

That last point matters. Too often candidates focus on issues that generate strong emotions but have little connection to the position they are running for. The result is a lot of noise and very little clarity.

The responsibility doesn't belong solely to candidates. Those of us asking the questions, whether in the media, at candidate forums, or in community discussions, also need to do a better job. Too often we accept rehearsed talking points and move on to the next question. We should be pushing candidates to go deeper. When they offer a slogan, ask for a plan. When they make a promise, ask how they'll pay for it. When they criticize an opponent, ask what they would do differently. When they claim leadership experience, ask for examples of difficult decisions they've made and what they learned.

Voters deserve more than 30-second sound bites and well-practiced campaign rhetoric. They deserve real conversations about priorities, governance, accountability, and results. The best journalism and the best public forums don't create heat; they create light.

The real question is not whether a candidate can identify a controversial issue. It's whether they can lead. Can they solve problems? Can they manage people? Can they make decisions based on facts? Can they work with others, even when disagreements occur? Can they move our community forward? Those are the questions that matter.

Local elections rarely get the attention of presidential races or statewide campaigns, yet local officials' decisions often have a more direct impact on our daily lives. The quality of our schools. The safety of our neighborhoods. The efficiency of county government. The stewardship of taxpayer dollars. These are local issues with local consequences.

So, before Election Day, I hope voters spend less time watching commercials and more time researching candidates. Attend a forum. Read beyond the mailers. Visit campaign websites. Ask questions. Look for substance.

And to the candidates: give us something worth voting for, not just someone to vote against. After all, this is a job interview. Help us understand why you're the best person for the job.