Riviera Beach establishes Youth Council to give high-school residents a formal voice

The Riviera Beach City Council authorized creation of a formal Youth Council to give resident high-school students a structured role in civic engagement and local government. Assistant to the city manager LaChanda Hayes introduced a draft resolution to clarify appointment language for the Riviera Beach Education Advisory Committee, and Councilmembers Miller Anderson and Mayor Douglas Lawson led a presentation establishing the youth council under Resolution 73-25. Legislative aide Makeria Wester described the council———as a municipal student body that will educate young people about local government, provide mentorship and leadership training, and amplify youth voices. Wester said roughly one-quarter of the city’s residents are under 18 and that the youth council will allow students to participate in city government and attend meetings of the Florida League of Cities and National League of Cities if the budget allows. Under the plan, students must be residents of Riviera Beach, turn no older than 18 by Sept. 1, and may attend any public, private, charter or home school. Membership will be determined by application and interview; the council will aim for an odd-numbered membership (the presentation mentioned up to 13 students) to ease voting. Staff said applications would be released for about a month, with the program targeted to launch in September and applicants reviewed at a later council agenda for final appointment. Council members praised the effort and voted to adopt the resolution unanimously. Staff said bylaws and the application process will be finalized and returned to the council for review before applicants are appointed.