Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come.

A little more than two years ago, I pointed out how appalling it was for the city of Anderson municipal elections to go uncontested election cycle after election cycle when the city faced so many challenges.

My call, then, for a “a new generation of leaders” to run for office was based on a sense that long-time residents and old-timers alike were demanding change that no one was interested in supplying.

Within weeks, former Mayor Richard Shirley, who many assumed would lead the city for decades, was toppled by Mayor Terence Roberts, one of two well credentialed challengers.

Fast forward two years, and that urgency for change has gathered pace, with of the four seats that are up for a vote drawing credible challengers.

Each of the has well-established connections to the communities they intend to serve. Each has an intense focus on the challenges ahead, even if many of their ideas need development and refinement.

It’s a shame to see voters distracted by the miniscandal involving whether Jeff Waters impersonated Tommy Dunaway to obtain the incumbent’s water bills to “prove” his At-Large Seat 8 challenger didn’t care about the city because it wasn’t really his home.

It will be ironic if Mr. Waters’ possible undoing at the ballot box results from a botched effort to go negative.

These are idealistic times in the city. And as with all stories of revolution, it began with a recognition that things can get better. Whatever “anger” there is out there comes from folks wishing they hadn’t enslaved themselves to such low expectations in the past.

This political enthusiasm originates with seeing the potential for the Electric City, as with the city of Greenville, to stop playing second fiddle to fumbling, reactionary, laissez-faire county leadership.

Whether it’s the open and oft-stated idea to maintain the higher out-of-city water rate as a bargaining chip for more attention from county leaders, or whether it’s the demand for the city to establish an economic development program of its own, the challengers seem to want to move this whole urban area forward much faster.

It’s nice to see serious talk about serious issues during this campaign. Before voting Tuesday, everyone should check out our exclusive voter guide, our video of our election forums and our stories at IndependentMail.com.

But the real test is whether city residents and like-minded county residents continue to press the winners to continue to formulate innovative and inspirational ideas to grapple with the city’s persistent problems that are holding it back and undermining its leadership claims — substandard amenities, limited employment opportunities, dilapidated neighborhoods, and festering gang activity among them.

Given the fast rise of the Greenville-Spartanburg metroplex, all of us have a stake in the outcome.