Sometimes being an elected official of a municipality can be a relatively thankless job. It was described recently as something like: “Trying to plan the municipality’s growth and direction over the next 10 to 20 years, while dealing with the minutiae that takes up 90 per cent of your time, like complaints about dogs barking.”
And while that may be true, it’s also true that ratepayers may feel a step removed from the future planning process for their community, and may also have a vision for their community’s future, but don’t have the time or resources to sit on Council to provide their direct input.
It’s often difficult to know how to relay that information to elected officials, so often good ideas are lost, or only discussed at “coffee time.”
Flagstaff County is hoping to tap into the thoughts and views of its ratepayers, not only on existing programs, but also on new ideas, this month by hosting a three-part opinion-sharing project, which includes a public survey, Brainstorm Board for new ideas, and then a face-to-face meeting with councillors.
The survey is in this week’s paper, and online is where you’ll find the ‘Brainstorm Board,’ where County residents are encouraged to share ideas for new programs or services in the region.
A glance through this year’s board reveals some innovative ideas being shared, not just for Councils, but for the region as a whole.
Finally, county residents will also have the opportunity to talk to councillors one-on-one, at an event the County is calling ‘Coffee with your Councillor,” on Tuesday, April 2.
At that time, tours of the County Shop will also be available to those who are interested.
As incentive, Flagstaff County is offering up a draw for $500 in Flagstaff Bucks, a program that supports local small business by issuing special vouchers than can be used as cash at any of the participating vendors.
Flagstaff County Reeve Don Kroetch talked about the importance of public participation in a recent Flagstaff County podcast, where he says, “Public engagement plays a crucial role in fostering good governance.
“Strong public engagement and participation ensures that Council’s actions, decisions, and policies are transparent and open for scrutiny.
“By involving the public in the decision-making process, Council can build trust and confidence among the stakeholders as they can see and understand the rationale behind Council’s decisions.”
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor