Patch Election Q&A: Matt Brolley on Question #5

The question:

How can the village better engage its residents to participate in city government? Very few citizens attend village meetings. How can this be changed? What have you, specifically, done to get more people interested in their government?

I think the best thing the village can do to engage citizens, is educate them on the village process. I can remember the first few plan commission and village board meetings I ever attended. I was lost in the formality of the event, and not certain if my project had even been approved.

Village staff and the Board can do more to welcome residents at these meetings. They can educate them in the format of the meeting, display all agendas, maps, tables and graphs on the projector, and post all relevant material to the village website afterwards. It is only a matter of time before these meetings will be simulcast on the Internet or a local cable channel. When this occurs, we will have to do even more. By being successful in this area the residents will be much more likely to take ownership in the process and participate. I have spoken to the residents and personally invited them to attend these meetings as an opportunity for involvement.