Recently, Community Relations Board member Bob Taylor gave readers an introduction to our local government with his mtl coluimn, Get Engaged.

His piece inspired me to pen this Top 10 list, based on my two terms on Mt. Lebanon’s Historic Preservation Board

Top 10 Things I’ve Learned from Serving on a Municipal Board

10       How to read a map (Almost.)

9         To ignore cameras  (Most meetings are taped)

8         Acronyms

7         If you believe your cause is the most important thing on the board agenda or in the municipal budget, you haven’t read the agenda or the budget

6         When in doubt, local government does whatever it can to keep poop out of basements

5         There is only enough money to keep poop out of basements. Sorry.

4         There is a reason Victor Hugo wrote so much about sewers

3         Staff members are the memory bank of a small government

2         The person accusing your Commissioners of misconduct today will diagnose your advisory board board with Stockholm Syndrome tomorrow, so…

1         We are lucky to have folks willing and able to serve in appointed and elected positions. Thank you for your service!

If you want to get engaged, you can jump to the application here.