On a typical afternoon recently, I walked out to my curb to fetch my trash receptacle, which a private company had emptied earlier that morning because my city does not offer public trash pick-up.

I dragged the wheeled can back to the side of the garage, walking past lawns kept orderly partly because I and my neighbors take pride in our lawns and partly because our city requires it.

As I walked through my garage into my home, I passed three plastic tubs quickly filling with cardboard, plastics, metals, and glass, which I have to take to one of several recycling dropoff bins located around town because my city does not offer curbside recycling pick-up.

The following morning, as I drove into work, I passed over several strips of fresh asphalt, evidence of recent road and utility work by contractors hired by my city. A police vehicle — purchased, equipped, and maintained by my city, and driven by a police officer hired, trained, paid, and equipped by my city — passed me, headed in the opposite direction.

As I drove into downtown, I passed several local businesses — a bank, several retailers, a salon, multiple restaurants — all there because city officials had determined businesses could operate in those spaces. Also by city officials’ design, I did not pass any recreational or medical marijuana shops.

I did pass the headquarters of my city’s downtown development authority, because my city has agreed to capture certain property taxes levied on downtown businesses to reinvest in downtown beautification, events, and promotion.

As I pulled into my parking spot at The News, I passed through a city-owned lot in which visitors can only park for a limited amount of time, another decision made by my city officials. Those who stay too long pay a fine that goes into my city’s coffers.

In my office that day, I signed a big check to cover the property taxes on The News at a rate set by city officials high enough to cover streets, police, the DDA, the city planners, and more, but kept lower by the services city officials decide not to offer.

Yes, it matters who occupies the White House, who controls Congress, who controls state legislatures, and who sits in governors’ offices.

Not only do federal and state policies shape my and your life, but they also influence (and often fund) the decisions made by my and your city officials.

But, unlike laws signed by President Joe Biden or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the ordinances and zoning rules and investments made at City Hall affect me immediately, daily, all day long, as my routine shows.

My community is shaped by the men and women who run and work at City Hall and other city departments.

Yet, despite that direct connection, city elections rarely garner much voter attention.

According to the National Civic League, even cities with high voter turnout, like Bradenton, Florida and Lexington, Kentucky, can’t get half the eligible voters to show up. Cities with low voter turnout, like Fort Worth, Texas, can’t get a tenth to the polls.

Half of the 30 biggest U.S. cities are led by officials chosen by less than 20% of the electorate, Bloomberg News said in a 2016 story. And, Bloomberg said, the oldest and wealthiest residents of those cities make up the majority of that 20%, meaning the daily lives of younger and poorer people are governed by people they didn’t choose.

Here in Alpena, turnout in the last Municipal Council election was about 23%.

That means that, if you lined up four random Alpenans, one of them had decided what kind of community the other three got to live in, because those other three never spoke up.

That has to change.

I encourage you to make some mental notes as you go about your daily life, thinking about all the ways your regular routine is shaped by your city hall.

Then think if you’d like to have a say in that routine.

If you would, vote in your next municipal election.

Justin A. Hinkley can be reached at 989-354-3112 or jhinkley@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinHinkley.