Citizen Engagement
The Town of Garner places great
emphasis on citizen engagement and
has enshrined it as a key objective in
its current strategic plan.
Whether it’s gathering public
input for new long-range plans,
strengthening relationships in the
community or forging partnerships
that help citizen-led initiatives to
succeed, the Town government
understands the importance of
engaging citizens.
Perhaps the Town’s most
robust, ongoing effort to
better inform and engage
its residents is the Garner
101 citizens academy.
Hundreds of residents
have graduated from the
course since its inception in fall 2013. Garner
101 is a series of nine weekly classes—plus a
graduation dinner and ceremony—designed to
teach citizens about the Town government. The
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Town seeks to empower citizens with knowledge
about their municipal government that will
benefi t their families and neighborhoods while
also fostering stronger relations between citizens
and their local government. Students in the
free course participate in presentations by
Town departments and key service providers
such as Raleigh Public Utilities and Garner
Volunteer Fire-Rescue, Inc. Classes include
enlightening, behind-the-scenes facility tours.
The Town now offers a Midday Garner 101
in the fall and an evening Garner 101 in the
spring. Both courses are available on a fi rst-
come, fi rst-served basis. To register for the
class, or for more information, contact
Neighborhood Improvement Manager
Reginald Buie at [email protected] or
by calling him at (919) 773-4446.
The Town has expanded its engagement and
education efforts by launching the Citizens
Leadership Academy, a series of classes offered
to help residents develop the skills to be a
neighborhood or community leader. Graduates
of the course are positioned to go on to
leadership roles in neighborhood organizations,
citizen advisory boards (see sidebar on page 13)
and more.
garnernc.gov