Thursday was the last day to file for Billings or Laurel city council seats. We've urged citizens to get involved in running for these offices or in supporting other good candidates. A flurry of filing activity yielded several new candidates who waited until the last day to put their names in the running.

There are many other opportunities for serving in local government, even without running for office. The Billings City Council, Billings Public Schools and Yellowstone County each have commissions and committees that provide important advice and recommendations to the elected school and government representatives.

These opportunities for civic service vary widely in subject matter and in time commitments, but most have no more than one meeting a month. Volunteering for a commission or committee is a great way to learn more about your local government. Commission and committee members are the front line in vetting new public policies and making decisions about allocating public money. Volunteers have a say on policies that most directly affect them, their children and their neighbors.

In difficult times like these, our community needs to pull together. Volunteers are more important than ever. Please look through the list below and consider whether you can fill one of these volunteer jobs.