There's a move afoot to change the rules so non-resident property owners will be able to vote on local ballots involving expenditures of local monies gathered through property taxes. For probably as long as there have been year-round and seasonal residents, there have been differences of opinion about who pays for what and for whose benefit. Year round residents tend to resent the presumed affluence of the seasonal residents and their brief but visible presence at the lake or in the mountains, while seasonal residents object to paying for projects and services that they get little or no benefit from without having any voice in spending decisions. Perhaps one of the things at the heart of this impasse is the perception, in some cases the reality, that seasonal residents don't give much thought to the locale of their summer homes during the months that they're not there.
Attention is one of the responsibilities of ownership.
Having the right to vote on issues will be meaningless if the sole interest is self-interest. While self-interest is admittedly a powerful force, it is not necessarily the best way to build community. As a responsible voter, as well as a responsible property owner, one should be informed on the issues under consideration, willing to consider all sides of a question, and committed enough to make the effort to cast that ballot.