Stop Complaining. Start Serving.

As Columbus moves closer to the May election, the volume of complaints about city government continues to grow louder. Social media timelines are filled with criticism. Barbershops and boardrooms alike echo frustration over what elected officials have—or have not—done. Concerns about accountability, efficiency and the use of taxpayer dollars are real, and in many cases, justified.

But here is the uncomfortable truth: criticism without participation changes nothing.

If you truly care about how this city is governed, there is a pathway for your voice to be heard—and it does not begin or end at the ballot box.

The Columbus Consolidated Government maintains 43 active boards, commissions, committees and authorities. These bodies oversee critical areas such as planning, zoning, public health, housing, development and more. Collectively, they include more than 380 members—many of whom are everyday citizens who made a decision to move from the sidelines into the game.

These are not ceremonial roles. They are working bodies that help shape policy, influence decisions and provide oversight. They are where ideas are discussed before they become action. And they are where engaged citizens can make a tangible difference.

Too often, we mistake observation for involvement. Watching a council meeting online is not the same as serving on a board. Posting frustration is not the same as participating in the process. Real change requires presence, commitment and a willingness to do the work.

If you are dissatisfied with how things are being run, then step forward. Apply. Serve. Speak up in the rooms where decisions are being shaped—not just after they’ve already been made.

Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is participatory by design.

As James Brown once said, “Get up, get into it, get involved.”

Columbus doesn’t just need more critics. It needs more contributors.