Walk Into City Hall

(Source: Strong Towns/Edward Erfurt.)

I get asked regularly, “What is the most powerful thing I can do in my community to advance or share the Strong Towns message?”

The answer is really simple: walk into your city hall.

Your city hall is the hub for all the activities in your community and is more than just a brick-and-mortar building in the center of town. City hall is the location where ideas are debated and codified into ordinances by your elected officials through various meetings. This is where a team of city employees are managing the day-to-day operations of the city, ranging from trash collection to tax collection. City hall is an institution with a diversity of responsibilities serving your community.

Here lies an opportunity to humbly observe how your local city operates and is managed. There is no better way to start this discovery than by introducing yourself and sharing what you love about your community.

Here are four simple things you can do when you walk into your city hall:

1. Meet City Staff

Take the time to meet the staff that are working in your city. These are the people who have the job of implementing the policies and programs as directed by your city council or mayor. They're working on the business of the city by writing ordinances, administering codes, and preparing meeting agendas.

Take time to meet these people and learn about their jobs and the various projects they are working on. Ask lots of questions and learn about how things work in your city. Share what you love and want to see more of. Ask how to enact change for things that are not so loved by you and your neighbors. This breaks down barriers and opens the door for you to have a positive conversation and share ideas to improve your community.

2. Introduce Yourself to Elected Officials

There are numerous ways to introduce yourself to your elected officials. The easiest way to meet a mayor or council member is to attend a council meeting. Depending on the size and formality of the meeting, you may be able to introduce yourself before or after the meeting to these elected officials. In a more formal setting, sign up for public comment. Use the 2–3 minutes of public comment to introduce yourself to the city council. During this first introduction, share one or two things you love about your city. Provide details that make that part or place in the city unique and loveable. 

3. Attend Meetings

Every council meeting and appointed board, such as the planning commission, have regular meetings with a posted agenda. You will learn that every city has a process that starts and ends with a meeting. There are meetings to start the process, which are titled “workshops” or “first readings,” and there are meetings to make final decisions that will include votes for ordinances or plan approval. Take the time to review agendas to understand the content of the meeting and attend the meetings with topics that interest you. It is always best to participate as early in the process as possible through public comment. 

4. Volunteer 

There is no shortage of volunteer opportunities in your local government. If you have the time or passion to serve your community, volunteer for an appointed board, commission, steering committee, or working group. These are the groups that the city council appoints to aid them in the decision-making process. These are the groups that are engaged early in the process and have a significant voice in steering the vision for your community.

Once you introduce yourself, do not be surprised if you are invited to become a volunteer. Your city needs your input, and since you already walked into city hall, you might as well stick around. 

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