A case in point is the Forest Road bridge over the East Fork.

It’s an Orange City Council project – it applied for the funding and it is managing the project, but it’s putting in none of the funds.

Instead, the money is coming from the state and federal governments.

The roads policy area is especially murky for the average person, depending on whether the stretch in question is a local or state road. 

But as we ease into the council election campaign for 2017, a trend is emerging where candidates are talking about state and even federal issues.

These have included housing affordability, renewable energy, and parking at Orange Health Service.

Councils can have a role to play in many of these areas – councillors have had to vote on master plans ensuring the housing mix could cater for all kinds of people buying their home in Orange.

They have also had to vote on solar installations for public facilities.

Other councils across the state have taken it upon themselves to run their own seniors accommodation and nursing homes. 

But some Orange candidates have warned about getting too caught up in issues that are not typically the concern of councils. 

Parking at the hospital is an issue where the council has involved itself in the past, and it will complete a row of spaces as part of a $1 million promised expansion.

But it is state government land and it has taken years of negotiation to reach this solution. 

Promising a better result could yield results, but it could also be a stretch.

By the same token, housing affordability is a matter state and federal governments have been grappling with for months, and many argue the issue still has not been solved.

Would Orange City Council build housing? It’s an interesting question. 

The council can always advocate and lobby for projects to pick Orange, and solar farms would be no different, but its role would likely stop there.  

Councils have such an important role in the day-to-day, there is plenty of room for policies and projects. 

We look forward to what individuals and group tickets will announce.