Welcome to 2012, Bremerton. A bright and shiny new year filled with hopes and expectations.

As years go, 2011 was rough. It was rough on us individually, on our families and on our occupations. It was rough collectively as a community and a society. The new normal of doing more with less is now firmly in control of our day-to-day decision making and ways of operating.

We are tighter. We are more frugal. We pay attention to what everything costs. We cringe with every trip to the store and bring home fewer groceries for more money.

An increased awareness of what is really important in our lives, for our futures and for our families has permeated our psyche.

As a community, we are paying more attention to the services we receive and the cost for the people and materials it takes to govern us. There is an additional spotlight on our leaders and their costs as well.

We are paying more attention to how our children are being educated and re-evaluating what the standard of education should be. We might face a future where college may not even be an available affordable option to the next generation of high school graduates as cuts ravage funding to the point of collapse in K-12 as well as higher education.

“Economic growth” and “job creation” has become the top priority. We want to work. We want to build our communities. We want to provide for ourselves and others.

As citizens, the burden of local governmental financial sustainability will be placed heavily upon our shoulders as an increasing number of public agencies turn to residents via the ballot box for additional or increased levies and new taxes.

We will suffer financially in our household and business pocketbooks if we approve ballot measures and we will suffer the most basic service failures if we don’t approve them. If any year was “the year” for you to get involved civically, 2012 is it.

Go out and find a public entity and then start monitoring it. Educate yourselves on how it works and how much it costs. Many hands make less work and we truly need many hands involved if we have any chance of meeting our desired hopes and expectations as a community.

Happy New Year Bremerton. Here’s to what we can accomplish together.