Civic awareness is essential for a successful community

At the most recent Board of Selectmen meeting, I distributed a copy of an article provided by the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA).

The ICMA is the professional organization for municipal managers around the world. While I find the organization often to be too theoretical or focused on the issues and resources of larger cities, the organization does offer a solid foundation and network for managers.

Each state typically has a similar organization for managers. The Connecticut organization is the Connecticut Town and City Managers Association, and the first meeting of the new fiscal year is scheduled this week. I look forward to meeting managers and leaders from other communities from across the state.

The article distributed at the board meeting was entitled “Civic Awareness: Key to Civil Discourse.” The first paragraph of the article follows:

“Civic Awareness Month, which occurs in September, reminds us of the importance of an educated and engaged citizenry. ‘Awareness’ implies an understanding of the issues affecting civic life. For local governments, that understanding enables the type of civic discourse that solves problems, not the ugly confrontations described in a recent Washington Post article with the headline ‘The age of the earful: America’s town halls are less about civil discourse as discord rules the day.’”

Unfortunately, I believe that this discord is related to the general lack of confidence felt by most voters with our federal officials. Washington, D.C., is drunk on partisan poison, with neither of the two parties blameless.

The money that flows into the politicians’ coffers only exacerbates the hostility. In so many instances, if a candidate does not toe the hard-core party line, another more “worthy” candidate is recruited. The age of deliberation and compromise has been lost to rhetoric and rabble.

But why does local government have to be as disharmonious? Our issues are smaller and more manageable when compared to state and federal government. We know and deal firsthand with our government officials. If you have a problem with the town, you can easily reach a town official, up to and including even visiting that official at home. We also personally know how our decisions at the local level will affect our residents.

One method of promoting civic awareness is through the use of a citizens academy. While many communities have informative programming for police or fire academies, a citizens academy highlights all aspects of town government. I had the opportunity to lead a citizens academy in one of my former communities.

The sessions were scheduled for one evening for three hours every other week. The whole block of instruction involved six classes over a three-month span, with a fall term and a winter term. No fees were charged, and participation was not limited to the specific community members (neighboring residents also came).

Each week highlighted a different aspect of local government. We started with the foundation of the government, the town charter. We highlighted the different roles and responsibilities of various levels of government, such as local, county, state and federal.

For subsequent sessions, I had a departmental supervisor explain her job, her experiences, and her responsibilities. The treasurer talked about taxes and the budget; the clerk, recordkeeping and voter registration; Public works director, water and sewer systems, roads, and parks; fire and police chiefs, their equipment and personnel.

The classes culminated with a session with the mayor and a discussion of the issues confronting the town. The information focused on how local government was organized and worked, not on the political decisions made by the board.

The graduates of the series were recognized at a board meeting and presented with a certificate of completion. A few graduates later served on various boards and commissions for the town, including the governing board.

The academy was taught for about three years, with class size at about 10 or so participants. I found the academy a great way to inform residents about government, which is not always taught in school. It also offered an informal venue to share ideas with and hear the concerns of residents.

As I become more familiar with Connecticut, I look forward to starting a similar program here in an effort to improve civic awareness with Winchester residents. Please let me know if you would be interested in such a program.

Have a good week and consider my invitation to visit at any time an open invitation.

Dale Martin is the town manager of Winchester.