Citizen Participation Guide

As a citizen...
you can take an active role in shaping Mesa government policies, programs and decisions.

Participating in government can be as simple as voting at each election. But you can go a step further by participating in the day-to-day process of local government.

• You can volunteer for one of the many advisory boards or committees that make recommendations to the City Council and City departments.
• You can influence decisions when it comes to adopting laws, the biennial budget, or where to site a new park.
• You can be an active member of a neighborhood association or help form one in your neighborhood.
• You can seek elective office.

One of the greatest challenges of governance is finding a balance between the interests of the community as a whole and those who have a special stake in a particular issue. Citizens can help strike that balance by looking for solutions that work for the entire community, not just a small group.

Although participating does not always mean prevailing, it does make government a partnership effort. That’s something positive, because when citizens are actively involved in their government, decisions can better reflect the will of the people.

NOTICE:

Below is a list of board and committee openings that will become available upon the expiration of several terms on June 30, 2008. Other openings also may become available, should members whose first term expires on June 30 be unable to or disinterested in serving a second term.

In short, while the following opportunities definitely will be available, opportunities to serve on other boards are a possibility, too. Consequently, individuals should not hesitate to check all boards and committees on the application they are interested in.

The term of service for the following positions is 7/01/08-6/30/11. Each board has one opening:

Future Openings:

• Design Review Board - Architect category
• Economic Development Advisory Board
• Industrial Development
• Judicial Advisory Board
• Library Advisory Board
• Merit System Board
• Museum & Cultural Advisory Board
• Parks & Recreation Advisory Board
• Personnel Appeals Board
• Planning & Zoning Board
• Transportation Advisory Board

Additionally, the following partial terms are currently available:

Current Openings:

• Housing Advisory Board, opening for custom/executive home builders
• Human Relations Advisory Board
• Parks & Recreation Advisory Board