Letter to the Editor: “The Future of Rural Communities Depends on Those Willing to Serve”

Letter To The Editor:

July 10th , 2026  – Lamar, Colorado

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had a lot of conversations with people in our area. Some have called about the challenges facing the Town of Hartman. Others have asked about the closure of the Domestic Safety Resource Center. I’ve heard various opinions about this year’s Fourth of July celebrations, and I’ve spoken with community leaders who are worried because it’s becoming harder to find volunteers and people who are willing to serve. At first, those may seem like separate issues, but I believe that ultimately, they are all connected.

When something goes wrong, it’s natural to look to your local municipal government for answers. We do everything we can, but the city can’t solve every problem or fund every need. Many of the organizations that help make Rural Communities a great place to live have their own boards, budgets, fundraising efforts and responsibilities. Their success depends on people who are willing to step up and serve. That’s how strong communities are built.

I would like to thank every volunteer, coach, board member, nonprofit leader, first responder, service club member, and citizen who gives back to their community. Because you may not always hear it, but your work matters.

In one way or another, I have been fortunate to serve the City of Lamar for more than twenty years. During that time, I have learned one important lesson: No mayor, no city council, and no organization can build a community alone. It takes people who are willing to give their time, experience, and leadership to make a real difference.

Building a community is a lot like building a house. It takes planning, hard work, patience, and people willing to pick up a hammer. But standing on the sidewalk, criticizing the people who are doing the work, doesn’t build a stronger house. Picking up a hammer to help does.

There’s nothing wrong with asking tough questions or disagreeing with the decisions we make – that’s part of living in a healthy democracy. What concerns me is when criticism turns into personal attacks, outrage becomes the goal and good people become targets simply because they choose to serve. It’s easy to tear people down; but it’s a lot harder to replace them.

Too often, social media rewards outrage instead of solutions. It’s easy to criticize from behind a keyboard, question every decision, or stir up frustration within a crowd without ever accepting responsibility for the outcome. The problem is that good people are watching.

I’ve spoken with people I respect who have told me they would never run for office, serve on a board, or volunteer because they don’t want to expose themselves or their families to the hostility that too often comes with public service… And that is a major loss for us all!

If experienced and thoughtful people decide it simply isn’t worth it anymore, who takes their place? If the loudest voices discourage qualified volunteers from serving, will they be willing to accept the responsibility themselves? More importantly, are those loud discouraging voices the ones we really want to make decisions that affect our families, businesses, and future?

The City of Lamar, like many Rural Communities, has come a long way because the generations before us were willing to get involved. They served on boards and councils, they raised funds and volunteered, they donated their time and they cared enough to leave their community better than they found it… But now it’s our turn!

If you’ve ever thought about serving your community, I encourage you to answer that call. We need people with different skills, different experiences, and a shared commitment to help make our communities better. The future of any community cannot be decided by those who complain the most – It must be decided by those who care enough to serve, and I hope that you too will answer that call!

Sincerely,
Kirk Crespin
Mayor, City of Lamar