A funny thing happened on the way to the voting booth in November 2009; the people got excited about something.

A few hours after the polls closed, many in the county were stunned by the overwhelming vote of support for a non-binding referendum on creating an Adams County recreation complex.

It was a fundamental example of — literally — hearing what the voters said they wanted.

Nearly eight out of every 10 voters threw their support behind the idea.

That massive show of support has provided a tangible outline for our leaders to follow.

It was a brilliant political move for the folks who have long supported expanding recreational endeavors in the community.

For poker fans, it was an “all-in” bet. Everything was on the line. Had the vote gone the other direction and been eight out of 10 against the proposal, recreation expansion would have been dead for at least another generation.

For those of us who simply like a more responsive, more visionary government, the practice of using existing elections to take the pulse of voters is an incredibly good idea and one that I hope continues.

The possibilities are virtually endless, but even if we focused on only issues that would have long-term implications, several issues could be quickly resolved by simply asking the voters.

Perhaps one of the first issues we should consider is something that’s been talked about for literally generations — consolidation.

Although full-blown, across-the-board consolidation of city and county governments would be a great to consider, simply taking it in smaller chunks might be easier for everyone to swallow.

Would voters throw their support behind a non-binding referendum to consolidate city and county law enforcement?

Lots of benefits seem to come from the idea, from saving taxpayer money to simply having a more streamlined government.

The savings of simply operating one single jail would seem sizable, let alone getting rid of the perception that one agency is better or worse than another.

Beyond law enforcement, how interesting would it be to find out if voters would approve of terms limits on county supervisors and city aldermen?

It’s always seemed odd that the president of the United States can only be elected for two, four-year terms, but city and county leaders can continue to be elected for decades. Forcing some new blood into local government is generally a good thing.

The same could be said for a long-standing issue in Adams County — selection of school board members.

Members of the Natchez-Adams School Board are appointed, three by the county and two by the city.

In many other communities, school boards are elected rather than being appointed. Proponents of each side of the elected vs. appointed have valid arguments on which option is best.

Why not put it to the people to decide?

It’s amazing the wisdom of the electorate. All you have to do is ask. They’ll tell you what they think.

If our community did that more often, it might be amazing how progressive we might quickly become.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.