By the time anyone reads this editorial, we’ll likely know who will lead our country as the 44th president of the United States. Either way, the outcome will be one of monumental and historical nature — with either the first African-American president or our nation’s first female vice president. After all the pomp and circumstance, once the last of the campaign signs and speeches have been delivered — then comes the real work.

Baldwin County, just like similar communities all over the nation, will be faced with some tough issues come January, and its now up to our newly elected officials — both locally, at the state level and nationwide — to address them in hopes of finding concrete solutions.

Here at home, our local school board will have at least two new members, and our county commission will have mostly a new look as well. With recent school board upheaval, job losses such as those we’ve recently witnessed at Rheem and Rivers State Prison and everyone having to tighten their belts financially due to the uncertain national economy, whoever takes the helm as our newest elected officials will have their work cut our for them — and it’s up to us to hold them accountable.

When all the stump speeches are over, there are issues that we must come together as a community to resolve. We need viable solutions to diversify our tax base, bring in new jobs, provide sound, quality education for our children so that they aspire to stay close by and start families here.

We need a fresh focus on ways of selling Baldwin County as a place for economic development as state and federal jobs are dwindling all over Georgia. We need new and innovative ideas in order to compete for jobs and employers. And now, its up to our newly elected leaders to work together with those already in office to get it done.

Now that the elections are over, it’s time for all of us to roll up our sleeves and get down to the business of making Baldwin County better for all of us.