Public Trust is not Personal Power 

Johnny E. Dollar editor@fgazette.com 

 Every elected official in America takes office as a trustee of the public’s confidence. Whether serving as a mayor, school board member, police juror, alderman, sheriff, or member of any public body, that office belongs to the people—not to the individual who temporarily occupies it. Public office is not a platform for settling personal scores. It is not a position from which to reward friends, punish critics, or advance private agendas. It is a solemn public trust. 

Most men and women who seek public office genuinely want to improve their communities. They deserve appreciation and respect. But public service carries an equally important obligation: the responsibility to exercise power fairly, impartially, and with humility.