EI Holds Lunch and Learn with Susan Iuliano to Discuss Local Elections
By Laurel Bennett, Staff Writer
(Poster Provided)
On Monday, the Eisenhower Institute (EI) hosted Susan Iuliano in the Penn Hall Lyceum as the culmination of their “Lunch and Learn” program for the semester. Iuliano discussed the importance of local elections and the frequently overlooked impact they have.
EI Executive Director Tracie Potts delivered introductory remarks to share Iuliano’s accomplishments in both appointed and elected positions at the local level.
Iuliano then explained her involvement with her local school board and select board while living in Massachusetts.
“I have worked on affordable housing and with the Commission of Disabilities, specifically focusing on taxation issues,” Iuliano said. “I was very fortunate to have a rewarding and extensive career, even though it was not a paid career in local government.”
She discussed how local governments are often overshadowed by the large focus on global, national and state events. However, Iuliano said that local governments are critical in shaping the daily lives of residents, such as through the control of tap water and public education.
Iuliano focused on how decisions made at the local level create differing experiences for citizens nationwide. She explained the impact these decisions have made in funding for public education, in large part due to San Antonio Independent School District vs. Rodriguez.
“This Supreme Court case was a pivotal moment in deciding that local governments would be able to control education more and that the funding would come from property taxes, which resulted in some discrepancies across the country,” Iuliano said.
Iuliano argued that students and faculty members in attendance should strive to get involved in their own local governments.
“Even something as small as calling your town government and saying a tree fell across the road is civil engagement,” Iuliano said. “You are helping to improve your community by addressing public safety.”
Iuliano concluded her lecture with a discussion about the ease of leveraging collective action at a local level in comparison to a national or state level.
“A small group of people can make a difference in their local governments, even against large moneyed interests. Citizen groups are able to advocate for change much easier, especially given that local governments are more often non-partisan,” Iuliano said.
