There is an election coming up on November 6. For some, this is a statement of the obvious. For others, based upon my conversations with citizens when taking my regular walks, the fact that a General Election is a bit more than one-month away came as a bit of a surprise to more people than I would have thought.
I know many feel the political system in general, and elected officials in particular, are unresponsive to their needs. Generally, government at the lowest responsible level is the best government; that is to say, City governments are better at responding to citizens’ needs than County governments, County governments better than state governments and so on. In my estimation, the City Council is very responsive to the needs of all Grand Terrace citizens, but more is required.
Often-times, people confuse the answer received with responsiveness, or the lack thereof, if the answer provided is not the one they wanted or expected. But, there is an answer to this seeming conundrum, and that answer is better and more effective City Council communications coupled with an increased level of engagement on the part of Grand Terrace citizens. I spent 37-years working for five cities before retiring and I found that higher performing cities, both at the City Council and City staff levels, had a common characteristic. This characteristic was a heightened sense of civic engagement. The more engaged the general public, the more Council and staff had to step up their games and the more the community benefited from higher Council/staff levels of performance.
It’s not just about voting, although that is a big part of it, and I urge you to vote this coming November. When was the last time you attended a City Council meeting? Did you know that physical attendance is not required and that you can watch entire Council meetings, or segments, from the comfort of your home. Government agencies are open books. Every meeting, meeting agenda, minutes of such meetings and every staff report, with attendant documentation, is available for public consumption. We as Council Members have no excuses. Likewise, you as citizens have no excuses.
“The Blue Mountain City” is on the verge of becoming “The Jewel of the Inland Empire” envisioned by our founders. Let’s up our games as Council Members and citizens and make our 2030 Vision and Grand Blue Rising a reality. You can start by voting for me on November 6.
This article sponsored by: Henderson: City Council 2018