In spite of the vastly divergent range of opinions held by all of us here in Somerville and in our neighboring communities, we can unite in the spirit of hope and bipartisanship as we congratulate and honor those who took their respective oaths of office this week.

It is so easy to sit back and play “armchair quarterback” as our city officials wrestle with the day-to-day and long-term issues that impact our lives to greater or lesser degrees. We can question and kibitz and complain until we are blue in the face. At the end of the day, it is those men and women who have taken up the burden of leadership who must deliver on their promise to serve our best interests in the most efficient and productive ways possible.

It is an unenviable task that is always harder to achieve than is clearly imaginable by the average citizen. Before voicing any severe criticisms for policies advanced and propagated by these public servants, we would be well advised to give long and deliberate consideration to the actual challenges confronting them as they do their jobs.

We wish all the best to Katjana Ballantyne, our first new mayor in some 18 years. We hope that she and the other city officials will be able to work  together productively.

When all is said and done, we will choose sides, argue our personal points of view, and question authority appropriately. But let us now offer our sincere good wishes for positive results in the term to come for those who have chosen to serve as best they can. After all, where would we be without them?