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Burke County to pilot Citizens Academy this fall to boost transparency and civic engagement
Summary
County manager proposed a six-week Citizens Academy to give residents hands-on exposure to county functions; commissioners approved the pilot program and designated initial schedule and size.
County manager presented a proposal for a Burke County Citizens Academy on July 21, describing a six-week, once-per-week program designed to familiarize residents with county operations and solicit community feedback. The manager said the program is on the county’s strategic-plan implementation list and would begin as a small pilot with 10 participants meeting 90 minutes weekly, with sessions in different county facilities to provide hands-on exposure to departments such as solid waste, public safety and human services.“A citizen's academy is largely just a group of folks who, have interest in the operational components and being embedded into county government,” the manager said. The planned curriculum includes county government 101, enterprise funds and the solid-waste facility, 9‑1‑1/EMS/police operations, human services (including foster-care topics), community services and a closing synthesis session.The board voted to approve the Citizens Academy program as presented and directed staff to open the application process through the county’s boards-and-commissions portal. Commissioner Burns, who made a motion to approve, said the program promotes transparency and helps residents see day-to-day government operations. The vote to approve was recorded 5–0.
