Garner plans to relaunch Citizens Academy in April 2026 to boost civic engagement

Garner staff told council on Oct. 30 they plan to relaunch the town’s Citizens Academy in April 2026 with a six‑week, experiential program aimed at increasing civic knowledge, volunteerism and participation on boards and committees.

John Hodges, assistant town manager, said staff used a recent civic‑engagement survey with 430 responses (average respondent age 65+) to shape curriculum and session topics. “So the top three things that people were interested in under general government are town communications, road maintenance, and municipal budget and finance,” Hodges said, explaining that survey results guided proposed sessions on general government, development services, public safety, public works and infrastructure, quality of life, and transportation.

Staff propose a mixed‑delivery format that includes brief pre‑reading or short videos, a 10‑minute featured speaker, a 20‑minute Q&A panel, a hands‑on activity of 50–60 minutes and online support materials. The program will include dinner at sessions to allow conversation and networking, and the town plans on‑site experiences at locations across Garner.

Hodges said peer communities typically run classes around 20 participants, and Garner is targeting roughly the same size to preserve interactivity for hands‑on exercises. Council members expressed support, calling the academy a transparency tool that can reduce misinformation circulating on social media and serve as a preparatory step for residents who later volunteer for boards such as planning, parks and recreation, or a police citizens academy.

Staff will refine outreach to broaden the respondent profile and target a more diverse set of participants than the survey sample. The council did not vote on the program; staff will return with further implementation details and outreach plans ahead of the April launch.