The people have spoken — or at least some of them have — and what they’ve said shows considerable forethought.

Voters approved by more than 2 to 1 a $10 million bond to replace and expand wastewater treatment facilities for the Cortez Sanitation District. It was a sensible move, because local development depends on adequate infrastructure, and property taxes are likely to go up less than monthly fees would have if the bond had not been passed. It was also an altruistic and far-sighted move, because most voters already have the sanitation service they need, at least for now.

In the Montezuma County Hospital District race, voters declined to replace incumbents Rick Beisel and Lois Rutledge with Sheila Wilson and Marvin Smith, who have been longtime critics of leasing district operations to Southwest Health System and Continuum Health Partnerships. Wilson and Smith also failed in their bid for the single open seat.

Special-district constituents approved mill-levy increases for the Mancos and Lewis-Arriola Fire Protection Districts as well as the Montezuma-Dolores County Metropolitan Recreation District, and released the Mancos fire district and the television district from the limitations of the TABOR Amendment to the Colorado Constitution. That means those two districts will be able to keep all revenues collected through the mill levies their voters have approved, rather than being subject to revenue limits. Any mill-levy increase must still be approved by the voters.

The directors of four districts were exempted from term limitations. Board members in both fire districts, the television district and the Montezuma Mosquito Control District will no longer be limited in the length of service they can give to their respective districts. Voters will, as always, have the option of forsaking incumbents for challengers, should any come forward.

These are all reasonable decisions, and the election results renew our faith in democracy. When voters are given choices, they make good ones. They understand the problems of rural government; they recognize that the bills must be paid and realities must be addressed, even when they might wish for a return to simpler, less expensive times.