When it comes to national elections, Newtown voters are ready and rarin' to go. Last November's contest that put Donald Trump in the White House (though Newtown went for Hillary Clinton overall) drew more than 85 percent of the 17,000-plus registered voters in town. That's pretty impressive. Choosing the leader of our country is something in which nearly everyone wants to have a say.

Choosing local elected leaders does not have quite as much pull, with only a third of Newtown's registered voters casting ballots in November 2015.

What Newtown residents seem to prefer when it comes to determining spending, though, is to let even fewer voices speak up for everyone. On average, the April referendum pulls in barely 20 percent of voters. In 2016, that number leaped all the way up to 29 percent, with the added incentive of voting in the presidential primary.

Last week, just under 20 percent of Newtown's registered voters decided that the town and school budgets were right for moving the town forward. These voters confirmed for elected leaders that the budgets presented would best serve the population. Trusting that officials are spot on with the $40,399,575 town budget and $72,995,957 school budget, other potential voters apparently found no need to go out into the gloom and rain to vote.

Those who cast votes on April 25 also have made the call on other spending that in previous years would have been authorized in town meetings. This past year's Town Charter revision requires certain town and capital projects, costing up to millions of dollars in total, to be put to voters in the referendum. For the first time, 3,385 residents weighed in on six such questions, with all six referendum questions meeting approval. Granted, had these spending decisions been made in the former town meeting format, most likely fewer than two dozen citizens would have put in their two cents worth; but when more than 17,000 townspeople have the opportunity to say how much, when, and where tax money will be spent, and less than a fifth of them take that opportunity, it is not so impressive.

We have heard anecdotally that there is a growing senior population - in need of an adequate senior center - of between 5,000 and 6,000; hundreds of families are sending students to our - safe and celebrated - schools. Thousands more drive on Newtown's 300 miles of roads every day, and every resident counts on a police force that is adequately housed.

It is alarming that so many choose not to vote in town referendums, depending on others to say how taxpayers' money should be spent. There are many excuses and some reasons why registered voters do not take part; but eligible voters who did not fill out a ballot cannot complain. Not voting signals contentment with whichever outcome.

Our town has the proven capacity to turn out for national elections; let's pledge to have a future where Newtown is a fine example of democracy in action, with high voter turnout for local decisions that affect us daily.

Ever onward and forward.