Vote Tuesday in Grovetown election

Just about every election of any consequence is one in which someone declares the city or county or state is at a "crossroads."

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About the only crossroads for Grovetown right now, though, is the intersection of Wrightsboro Road and Robinson Avenue. That's close to ground zero for the city's Comprehensive Development Plan.

Like all such plans, this one has all the mind-numbing detail than any wonk could want to read. But it is a vitally important blueprint for the future of Columbia County's largest city.

Implementing that plan is the job of the mayor and city council, and elections Tuesday will determine who is in the driver's seat.

The candidates seem to have been a little frustrated at the lack of excitement over the election, but it's easy to understand the apathy. Though long-time Mayor Dennis Trudeau is stepping down, just one candidate - city council veteran George James - is seeking the office. And just one candidate, Rosa Lee Owens, is running for James' unexpired term.

It's hard to build excitement in a contest when the winners have already been decided.

There is a three-way race, however, for two seats on Grovetown City Council. Council members Dick Manion and David Daughtry want to keep those seats, and newcomer Robert Newman wants one of them. The top two vote-getters will win.

Those races alone should generate at least a little excitement, but sadly, it's tough to attract voters in a clean election with good, scandal-free candidates. Manion and Daughtry have done nothing to justify their rejection, and Newman is eager and sincere enough to deserve a chance to prove himself.

The best the citizens of Grovetown should hope for is that once the new council and mayor are seated, they'll work together to keep the city on track to controlled growth and greater opportunity.

They might not be at a crossroads, but they'll work best if they're not at cross-purposes with one another.