Every year, each of the seven Pierce County Councilmembers hosts an evening in-district Council meeting, as required by the County charter. This year, the Council is committing its in-district meeting series to promoting civic engagement in local government.
Pierce County Council Vice Chair Marty Campbell (District 5) is kicking off the Council’s 2023 series of in-district meetings on Thursday, April 27 at 6 p.m. at the Fife City Hall (5411 23rd St E in Fife).
“Fife is the second closest city hall to the County-City Building, but despite its proximity, it has its own culture and priorities that are important for the County Council to understand,” says Campbell. “I’m looking forward to hearing an update on what’s happening in Fife, and from residents on what their regional priorities are for our County.”
The District 1 in-district meeting follows shortly after on Wednesday, May 3 at 6 p.m. at the White River High School in Buckley (26928 120th St E in Buckley).
“There is a lot of attention directed toward national and state politics, but to some extent, the County’s legislative process gets lost or misunderstood,” says Councilmember and Executive Pro Tempore Dave Morell (District 1). “What affects our daily lives the most is the impact of local policy decisions and regulations made at the County level. We’re holding our in-district meeting at a high school because I hope to show the young people what local government looks like and why it’s important to engage in local policymaking.”
The next in-district meeting is on the Key Peninsula in District 7 Thursday, May 18 at 6 p.m. at the Longbranch Improvement Club (4312 Key Peninsula Hwy SW in the unincorporated community of Longbranch).
“I’m so excited to host my first in-district meeting on the Key Peninsula,” says Councilmember Robyn Denson (District 7). “With limited broadband access – which we’re working to address with investments in broadband infrastructure - and its rural location, it can be hard for people there to engage with County government. I have a satellite office on the Key Peninsula so I can be available to residents there, but I know having the full attention of the Council is important.”
The purpose of this effort is to take the concept of bringing government out into the community one step further by focusing on engagement in local government and why it’s important. The Council encourages anyone who can attend to come and participate in the citizens’ forum held at the end of each Council meeting.
“I’m grateful for the Council’s leadership as we work to increase civic engagement and dialogue at all levels of government,” says Dr. Scott Harrison, Superintendent of the White River School District. “We face many challenges that will require unique solutions; it is critical that we continue to raise awareness so our community is part of the process when important decisions are being made that will impact us all.”
Future in-district meetings will be announced broadly as they are planned and finalized.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Bryan Dominique, Communications Manager
Office of the Pierce County Council
[email protected]