Citizens Academy pulls back curtain on local government

When you think about government, what comes to mind?

Bureaucracy? Laws? Power?

These responses aren’t incorrect, but the zoomed-out lens we typically use when thinking about government obscures an important truth: Government, and especially local government, is largely made up of ordinary individuals who want to better their communities.

If local government is the backbone of the United States, then the vertebrae consist of the various departments that work together to turn governance into action. Well over a dozen Longboaters received a crash course about the functions of those departments and the people behind them when they participated in the Citizens Academy of Government class, which was held weekly through parts of January and February for the second consecutive year.

Pam Anderson is relatively new to Longboat. When asked what she learned during the course, Anderson responded, “Where do you want me to start?” She was perhaps most impressed by the quality of the people who represented each department.

Gary Coffin, another attendee, agreed.

“I like the spirit that everyone [in the city government] seems to have,” Coffin said. “I think they realize that where we are is a really special place. It really is. And they have a unique opportunity to be very special and they're making it special.”

“They do so much with [their resources],” attendee Mary Rader added. “And they do it happily. No one’s disgruntled that I saw. But it made me want to come and help. It makes me want to be part of the town.”

Anderson and Coffin both learned how accessible the Longboat Key government is. Anderson also noted how strategic the town’s long-term planning is, while Coffin was surprised by how cohesively the departments seem to work together.

Comments like these reveal why Longboat Key Town Manager Tom Harmer prioritized the reinstitution of the program, which had last been conducted on the island in 2011, when he arrived on Longboat more than two years ago. He was also impressed by how many questions Longboat residents brought to class.

“The more they understand about their government, the better,” Harmer said. “But I think even more important than that is just giving them a chance to spend some time with the departments and understand a little bit better what they get for their tax dollars and their contributions to the government.”

Harmer hopes the program will get more people interested in working on citizen committees such as the Pension Board and Planning & Zoning board. Maybe some will even become  commissioners.

Among 2019 attendees, one critique was common: They wished they had more time with the police and fire departments, who shared one session. So each department received its own session this year, expanding the course from six classes to seven.

Ultimately, Harmer wants to continue working to make the program a staple on Longboat Key. It seems like most of this year’s attendees, including Rader, would support that.

In fact, Rader wants to bring the program to her other hometown of Carmel, Ind.

“It's a [weakness] in our education that we don't learn this,” Rader said. “This is where it starts.

“This is what we should learn first. Local government.”