By Karen Hildebrant, MTA Public Affairs Liaison

10 MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP NEWS • APRIL 2004

Strengthening the relationship between localgovernment and its citizens might seem to be suchan obvious priority that it hardly needs spelling out.Yet all levels of government have been criticized forbeing remote from the people, not listeningenough and not seeking participation.

Calls for greater government transparency andaccountability have grown as public and mediascrutiny of officials’ actions increases. The publicassumes that government officials can and shouldproduce good policy products. And if they don’t?Then, as in the marketplace, many people believethat they have the right to look elsewhere.

Numerous recalls around the state may havegrabbed headlines during the last couple of years,but less spectacular illustrations of this “customerservice” concept include a steady erosion of voter turnout in elections, declining levels of volunteers, less confidence in decisions and lack of participation at board meetings.

American democracy is deeply rooted in thecommunity at a grassroots level. The public isagainst big, unresponsive government, and a broadconsensus is growing for greater reliance on localgovernment and more public participation. Citizensnow have access to more information to form theiropinions, and they expect government to take theirviews into consideration when making decisions.

According to MTA District 19 Director TToommZZoonneerr, CChhaarrtteerr TToowwnnsshhiipp ooff CCoommmmeerrccee (OaklandCo.) supervisor, directly engaging citizens is thebest way to find out what they are thinking andwhat they need. “It is vital for the township boardand citizens to work together,” he said. “Thoughthe township board is ultimately responsible for thefinal decision, having citizen input and involvementgo a long way toward helping the township accomplish its goals.”

By Karen Hildebrant, MTA Public Affairs Liaison

MICHIGAN TOWNSHIP NEWS • APRIL 2004 11

The New CitizenAs more and more people move into

townships, a new kind of citizen is emerg-ing—and they present a contradiction.They are better informed and more sophis-ticated in using the political tools ofchange—like recall petitions—yet are votingin smaller numbers. They expect more andbetter services. However, they are oftenreluctant to pay—and are perhaps unawareof the need for—taxes beyond user fees.They want instant government responsesto their needs yet are hesitant to fund theoperations of government. They exhibitNIMBY (Not In My Backyard) attitudes butare less than enthusiastic about attendingpublic meetings to debate and problem-solve such issues.

For their part, many officials can be asfrustrated with the public as the public iswith them. Officials may find it difficult tohave productive discussions with citizens.They often see constituents who are impa-tient, emotional, intolerant of ambiguityand complexity, ill-informed, concernedonly with their narrow interests, andunwilling to accept unavoidable costs andtradeoffs.

As a result, public meetings often pro-duce little in the way of genuine delibera-tion. Officials frequently use the opportu-nity to sell or defend decisions they havealready made or feel they will have tomake. Citizens can seize the opportunityto criticize, blame, and oppose officialaction (or inaction).

MTA Past President PPaattrriicckk WWhhiittee,PPaavviilliioonn TToowwnnsshhiipp (Kalamazoo Co.)supervisor, says public participation isoften difficult to measure. “Just becausethey don’t show up at board meetingsdoesn’t necessarily mean they don’t par-ticipate,” he said. “Some residents readabout township issues in the newspaper,vote in local elections and chat with aboard member in the grocery store. Otherresidents may stop by the hall or send e-mails and letters.”

Amid the wealth of information on howto build healthy communities, why are somany communities unable to resolve ten-sions, satisfy diverse constituencies andsolve problems? The transition from thetraditional leadership model to a new

model of collaborative community leader-ship is hard. It takes time and commitmentfrom grassroots leaders.

The challenge for townships is to recog-nize the pitfalls of continuing “business asusual.” We must begin to face the chal-lenge of building stronger, healthier com-munities. This must be accomplishedtownship by township, and conversationby conversation.

Participation is PossibleInvolving the public in the decision-

making and judgments of the townshipmay be a difficult task. At the same time, itcan also be a rewarding experience,enhancing both the legitimacy of decision-making and the value of what is produced.Effective participation can bring about abetter policy direction, improved services,an imaginative way of tackling issues, bet-ter understanding and, more broadly, asense of hope and shared commitment tochange.

Yet it is also clearthat participation hasthe potential to runoff track. The key is toensure that participa-tion is done effective-ly. It is not essential,or even desirable, thatevery citizen partici-pates all the time. Buteveryone must havethe opportunity totake part, and shouldfeel welcomed andable to influence pub-lic decisions.

Citizens asPartners

Engaging citizensin policy-making al-lows townships to tapinto new sources ofideas, informationand resources whenmaking decisions.You may be think-ing, “This all soundsgreat, but where dowe start?”

To engage people

effectively in policy-making, townshipsmust first invest adequate time andresources to develop and use appropriatetools, ranging from traditional opinionpolls and community forums to the newestadvances in planning—charettes. (For moreon such tools, turn to page 12.) The keyingredients for success are close at hand,including information, consultation andpublic participation. Information providedmust be objective, complete, easy to findand understand, and relevant.

Townships’ efforts to inform, consultand engage citizens in policy-making can-not replace representative democracy andshould not intend to do so. Instead, theycomplement and strengthen democracy asa whole.

A township’s increased attention tostrengthening its relations with residentswill be the result of a changed context forpolicy-making. The efforts will only be

Engaging Citizens ThroughTechnology

The Internet hasopened up new fron-tiers in the exchangeof information, butlocal governmentshave been slow toreap the benefits of

a network approach to good governance and are onlynow discovering the advantages of engaging citizens with thistechnology.

Today, there are widespread efforts to put more governmentinformation online and open up arenas for online consultation,including chat rooms and LISTSERV® lists. But, these effortshave their limits (not everyone is online for a start), so when itcomes to feeding citizens’ suggestions into policy-making, theInternet on its own is not enough.

More than 200 progressive Michigan townships have discov-ered the advantages of having their own Web site. A Web sitecan increase participation by residents, inform citizens of currentevents, show off the community to outside visitors and promotethe area’s assets to businesses looking for new locations. Withan informative and attractive Web site, townships can engagethe world in an online presentation of their community.

Watch for next month’s cover story on “e-government” for more information on using technology to benefit yourtownship. ■

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effective if the entire board supports them. In practice, this requireseach official to take an active interest in and provide visible supportfor these activities. The board needs to ensure that the input receivedfrom citizens is incorporated into decision-making.

Getting citizens to participate doesn’t hinge solely on the toolused to engage them, however, added MTA Upper PeninsulaDirector at Large SSaarraahh PPeellttoo, supervisor of PPoowweellll TToowwnnsshhiipp(Marquette Co.). “It has more to do with connecting them to localgovernment on an emotional level,” she said. “If people are con-vinced that their input is being taken and real decisions are beingmade from it, then you start a process where they begin to engage.”

The most important thing, however, is not to jump directly intoaction. To avoid problems later, determine the following: • What do you want to achieve? • How can you best achieve it? • How will you be able to know if you were successful?

The respective roles and responsibilities of the township—makinga decision for which it is held accountable and on which its per-formance is judged—and the citizen—providing input for the deci-sion-making process—must also be clear. Citizens are not govern-ment; they elect it and want to be served by it. But if citizens are toparticipate more than simply via the ballot box, then they needproper access to information, meaningful consultation and oppor-tunities to take an active part in policy-making.

“Township boards must recognize they can’t do it all. Our job isto govern and guide our communities as a whole,” Zoner noted.“We need our citizens to join us in problem-solving and strategicplanning so we can use our limited resources more wisely in mak-ing the transition from reacting to the needs of our communities toanticipating them.”

For successful actions, townships must plan and act strategically.The first phase—concept and planning—is an investment that willbear fruit at all stages. It entails clarifying the objectives your town-ship wants to achieve, the public you want to address and theresources at your disposal.

Tools for Increasing Citizen Involvement

AAnnnnuuaall RReeppoorrttss——A written document that provides anoverview of the entirety of a township’s activities.

Citizens can use these reports to judge if a government is deliv-ering what it promised.

BBooaarrdd--CCoommmmuunniittyy DDiiaallooggss——An interactive meetingbetween the township board and residents where the

board frames issues for, and receives feedback from, the partic-ipants.

BBrroocchhuurreess——A pamphlet featuring overviews and sum-maries of township-related information in clear and

easy-to-understand language, visual elements such as graphsand an attractive layout.

CChhaarreettttee——A meeting held within a specified time limitwhere participants work intensely together to reach a

resolution. The township sets the goals and time limit—andannounces both ahead of time. A leader’s responsibility is tobring out all points of view from concerned residents and otherparticipants.

CChhaatt RRoooomm——A place or page on a Web site where resi-dents can “chat” with each other by typing messages,

which are displayed almost instantly on the screens of otherswho are in the “chat room.”

CCiittiizzeenn PPaanneellss ((AAddvviissoorryy CCoommmmiitttteeeess))——These panels arecomposed of a representative sample of citizens with

the aim of ensuring broad representation and providing a forumfor ongoing consultation.

CCoommmmuunniittyy FFoorruummss——A meeting where local residentsexpress their views to decision-makers on priorities for

the township and provide feedback on the performance ofimplementation strategies.

CCoonnsseennssuuss CCoonnffeerreennccee——A group of 10 to 15 citizensrandomly selected to question experts on a policy issue,

after which they discuss the issue among themselves. At theend, they publicly present the conclusions they share.

DDiirreecctt MMaaiill——Delivery of written information directly tocitizens’ doorsteps. This is a very broad and relatively

expensive tool to inform citizens.

EE--NNeewwss——Electronic newsletters published and distrib-uted by the township to residents who subscribe by

submitting their e-mail addresses.

EElleeccttrroonniicc BBuulllleettiinn BBooaarrdd——An area of a Web site whereusers can post messages for other users to read and

respond. In most cases, readers contact the author of a bulletinboard message by e-mail.

FFooccuuss GGrroouuppss——A gathering of a group of citizens in oneplace for a period of a day or less, who receive informa-

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Setting ObjectivesObjectives describe what you want to achieve. Objectives put

focus on the important issues when planning, executing or evaluat-ing, help identify which actions are needed, and justify actions. Theyalso put these actions into a larger perspective.

When developing objectives:• SSeett oobbjjeeccttiivveess aatt aallll lleevveellss.. This puts activities in context and linksto the broader goals of your township.• BBee rreeaalliissttiicc.. Setting goals unrealistically high may lead to inflatedexpectations and to disappointment when they are not achieved.• MMaattcchh oobbjjeeccttiivveess wwiitthh rreessoouurrcceess aanndd aaccttiivviittiieess..• WWrriittee oobbjjeeccttiivveess ddoowwnn.. This makes them explicit and provides thebasis for evaluation.• SShhaarree.. Develop objectives together with key township personnel—and, at the very least, share them with staff so they know what theyare working toward. Do the same, if possible, with residents.

Tools for Enhancing Public Participation No single tool or approach will be suitable in every township and

situation. Each township must take into consideration local tradi-tions and practices. The amount of resources will limit the scope oftools available.

Public opinion polls, surveys, comments and notice periods areexamples of popular tools used for seeking citizen feedback. Publichearings, as well as focus groups and seminars, are forms of govern-ment-citizen consultation.

Government’s task is to govern—to make policy. Information, con-sultation and active participation are not replacements for govern-ment taking initiatives or making decisions. Government has a lead-ership role, and citizens expect government to fulfill it—after all, thatis why they vote officials into office.

The question, however, is less whether to lead and more abouthow to lead. Townships can practice leadership in two ways. Theycan either practice leadership ignorant of citizens’ direct concernsand input—which puts all governments into crises of lack of trust,or they may practice leadership open to citizen concerns and input.

tion and are interviewed individually and together about theirviews and reactions.

IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn CCeenntteerr——Designated space at the townshipthat is accessible to citizens and provides information

about township government programs and services.

LLIISSTTSSEERRVV®® LLiissttss——A popular automatic mailing list serv-er sponsored by the township. Residents “subscribe” to

a given discussion, and the “conversations” are distributed to theentire subscriber base via e-mail.

MMeeddiiaa RReellaattiioonnss—Building relationships with journaliststo increase awareness and coverage of your township’s

activities and services.

NNeewwsslleetttteerr——An effective way to convey important infor-mation to busy residents about township activities.

Regardless of budget, newsletters can be as simple or complexas your township would like, as long as it reflects and speaks tothe character of your community.

OOffffiiccee HHoouurrss——This tool offers citizens regular opportuni-ties to meet and talk to township officials and personnel.

OOppeenn HHoouusseess—An event hosted by the township, forexample at the township hall or fire station, to showcase

township buildings and services.

PPuubblliicc HHeeaarriinngg——Public hearings are required in certaindecision-making processes (budgets and special assess-

ments, for example). Chaired by the township board or anotherappointed commission, they are open to all citizens who wish toattend.

PPuubblliicc OOppiinniioonn PPoollllss——Established instruments for por-traying opinions held by a population on a given issue at

a certain moment in time. To deliver statistically valid results, pub-lic opinion polls follow a strict methodology, involving randomsamples, trained interviewers and pre-tested questionnaires.

SSuuggggeessttiioonn BBooxx——A container located in the townshiphall, which allows for the collection of suggestions and

complaints.

SSuurrvveeyy——A structured series of questions presented tocitizens. The responses of a representative sample are

collected and analyzed. Questions can be either closed (choiceof several pre-defined answers) or open (answer freely).

WWeebb ssiittee——A collection of “pages” or files linked togetherand available on the World Wide Web.

WWeellccoommee PPaacckkeettss——A small packet of information thatdescribes the township and services provided to all new

residents when they contact the township for water/sewer serv-ice, register to vote or file a property transfer.

WWoorrkkiinngg wwiitthh YYoouutthh——The promotion of local govern-ment is important to help develop a level of understand-

ing and involvement by young residents in township govern-ment. Start a youth advisory council or hold a mock townshipelection. ■

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The latter gives officials the chance to tap into wider citizenresources, to develop better policies and to gain more trust andlegitimacy. This informed, collaborative kind of leadership balancesleading and listening.

Strengthening government-citizen relations is a means for town-ships to fulfill their leadership role more effectively. It is not, how-ever, a magic wand. Simply pretending to take citizens’ views andinput into account is counterproductive, leading to less trust intownship government and democracy. This is why, in all attemptsto strengthen government-citizen relations, commitment andleadership are vital for success.

According to White, “As the problems local governments areasked to solve become more complex and economic times tighter,officials will need more input from their residents. When boardsare facing the difficult decisions of budget cuts, they can’t justwork off their own perspective; their decision impacts their entirecommunity. It’s a partnership, and one can’t move forward with-out the other.”

Of course, strengthening government-citizen relations is not aguaranteed path to success. The process may generate opposition,or impose significant delays on policy-making, making it costly fortownships. Such risks should, however, be weighed against thenegative effects and costs of not engaging citizens.

One thing is clear: this process requires resources—time,

expertise and funding—like any other township activity. However,the funds needed to achieve significant results are usually smallin comparison to the total amount spent on a given policy. Arethe resources well spent? If the effects of strengthening govern-ment-citizen relations—such as the chances for better implemen-tation, better policies, voluntary compliance and more trust intownship government—are valuable, then the funds are wellspent.

But how can your township strengthen this relationship?Producing newsletters is not enough. What happens to thesetools? What information do they carry? Do they reach the intend-ed residents, or do they get tossed in the wastebasket?

To be successful, townships must plan information, consulta-tion and active participation activities. It is about setting goals,planning and implementing activities to reach them, and evaluat-ing whether they were achieved.

Pelto noted that township boards must recognize the barrier toparticipation created by residents’ busy lives. “Most people wouldlove to be more involved with activities in their local communi-ties, but with the time constraints they face with work and fami-ly, it’s difficult for most of them to find the time to volunteer,” sheobserved. “Creating specific projects where they can be of assis-tance, such as a park clean-up or a recycling day, where they canmake a difference and possibly get their whole family involvedcreates a win-win situation for them and the township.”

Timing is CriticalStronger government-citizen relations need time to be built and to

show results. There is no quick fix. It is unrealistic to think that citi-zens are suddenly going to show greater trust in the township boardjust because it has just started to engage them in a single policy ini-tiative. Citizens need time to contribute to policy-making by becom-ing familiar with the issues and developing their own proposals.

Direct effects of citizen engagement depend on when the citi-zens become involved. If it is at a later stage in the policy cycle—close to or even after decision-making—then citizens have littlereal impact on policy-making. Instead, involve citizens during thepreparatory and explorative stages of the policy cycle to achievegreater effects.

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ScholarshipSponsor

Use Creativity During the ProcessThere is no ready-made solution to the challenges your town-

ship is facing. Each township needs to creatively develop activitiesin the context of its specific situation and challenges.

It would be easy to simply set objectives and choose tools onceand be done with it. However, this is not practical since relationsbetween township boards and citizens are dynamic. The contextfor this relationship changes over time—as do issues, options forpolicy-making, and affected citizens.

Be Prepared for CriticismCriticism and debate are part of democracy. Engaging citizens

in policy-making rarely results in a standing ovation for any unitof government. If citizens have rarely been given a chance to beheard, they might use their first opportunity to do so by airingtheir anger or frustration. Or they might simply choose to not fol-low the options proposed by the township board.

Remember: If you invite citizens to say what they think, don’tbe surprised if they end up doing exactly that. And don’t bealarmed to find that their ideas might not fit with your own. Afterall, the goal is to get input from citizens—not a round of applause.

An Ounce of Prevention … In the government-citizen partnership, understanding, trust-

ing and appreciating each other’s roles are a prerequisite for engagement. Many townships new to these concepts willrequire some time getting prepared for the process. Keep in mindthat prevention is better than coming up with a cure. Be pro-active and seize existing opportunities to creating an active con-stituency.

For boards with little previous experience with the tools pre-sented in this article, it may be more productive to start slowlyand not try to do everything at once. Township boards and citi-zens alike need time to get used to active participation, but thereis no reason to wait any longer.

Take advantage of this opportunity to improve the quality ofservices your township provides to citizens, and to reduce costsand create sound policies that will ultimately build Michigan’sfuture. ■

By Karen Hildebrant, MTA Public Affairs Liaison

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