Last week witnessed an annual meeting of Utah politicians who control hundreds of millions of dollars and impact our quality of life, and even the most mundane of activities. Mayors, city council members and their staffs just finished another meeting of the Utah League of Cities and Towns in St. George. Among the many topics of hallway discussion were this year's municipal elections.

 Why should anyone pay attention to the municipal elections this year?

Wise citizens observe and participate in local contests. These local officials touch our daily lives more than leaders at any other level of government. They pave our streets and fill the potholes, provide us with water, sewer and sometimes electricity. They collect our garbage and provide police and fire protection. They maintain our parks and offer Little League baseball and other recreation programs. And they determine through zoning laws what we can do with our property. If you think about your daily interactions with government, it is at the city and town level where the real works gets done.

Municipal elections are mostly nonpartisan, avoiding the usual partisan and ideological divisions. What matters is if a candidate can get the job done, not whether he or she is an R or D. However, city politics can be as nasty as politics at any level, or worse. Neighbor is sometimes pitted against neighbor, and it can get ugly, highly antagonistic and very personal.

Municipal politics are also unique because leaders are very close to citizens. They are neighbors, and you see them at the grocery store and at church. A citizen can get an audience with the mayor or council member of any city in the state. Leaders tend to be responsive to citizen concerns.

What's more, a single vote can have a big influence in these elections. Turnout is often very light, so the impact of each vote is magnified. In each election, a number of municipal candidates are elected by just a handful of votes. Your vote can make a big difference, so you should get involved, support the candidate of your choice and be sure to vote.

 What are some of the most interesting and important races?