We salute those who step up to serve their communities in elective office, especially at a time of economic stress and municipal budgets constrained by declining tax revenues.

Local elected officials often spend long hours on the people’s business for little-to-no compensation other than the satisfaction of helping their communities.

More than 100 candidates filed for office last week to fill seats on city councils, school boards, fire districts, sewer districts and cemetery districts. Just one-fourth of the positions attracted more than one filer, which is unfortunate.

This is a time that calls for some vigorous public discussion of our priorities as a community and what kind of future we choose.

These are offices that affect our communities in the most direct ways — overseeing the budgets that provide for police and fire services, schools, hospitals, economic development, road maintenance, trash pickup, water, sewer and parks, among others.

Those are the services that bear directly on a community’s quality of life and should beckon those with a desire to serve. We are better off when candidates compete for office.

It is true that in many cases the lone filers are incumbents who have earned the trust of a community that sees no reason to replace them. But it also is an indicator of public apathy that is not healthy for our political system.

Now, more than ever, we need candidates with new ideas and the courage to put them forward.

Even so, there are some key races that offer some prospects for good discussions — the Anacortes mayoral race; challenges to incumbents on the city councils of Mount Vernon and Sedro-Woolley; the La Conner Town Council; and to all three incumbents at the Port of Anacortes whose seats are up for election.

Because there were several offices for which no candidate filed last week, the Skagit County Auditor has reopened filing beginning today (TUESDAY)and running through the close of business Thursday.

Only those offices for which there is no candidate are open to late filers.

For those who did put themselves in the political ring, we appreciate your willingness to serve. And where there is opportunity to compare opposing candidates, we look for a lively and civil debate in the public square.