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City Manager Bridal Heck highlights Citizens Government Academy as fall class opens for registration
Summary
City Manager Bridal Heck said the inaugural Citizens Government Academy graduated 23 residents and that fall registration is open for a 10-week session starting Aug. 19; 13 of 25 spots remained when the podcast aired.
City Manager Bridal Heck said the inaugural Citizens Government Academy graduated 23 participants this spring and that registration is open for a 10-week fall class starting Aug. 19.
The academy, Bridal Heck said, offers an in-depth look at how local government works: department heads lead hands-on sessions, attendees toured city operations and completed a finance exercise meant to show how tax dollars are allocated across schools, townships and other local entities. "It was awesome," she said of the first class, noting department engagement and practical activities.
Moderator encouraged listeners to sign up at springfieldohio.gov and said the program is limited to 25 participants; city residents receive enrollment priority but County residents may apply. "We had 23 graduates this year," Bridal Heck said, and the next class will meet weekly on Wednesdays from Aug. 19 through Oct. 28.
Bridal Heck credited department staff for designing sessions that let participants experience city decision-making, including a mock commission meeting focused on a controversial zoning case and a finance night that many participants found eye-opening. She said the service department, led by Chris Moore, won a participant-selected award for its session and tour.
Hosts gave registration details: the city opened applications the prior Monday, the city planned to close registration on Aug. 10, and the podcast episode included a promise that applicants who are not admitted this round would be retained for priority notification for the 2027 offering.
City staff said the academy will shift from an every-other-week schedule to 10 consecutive weeks in the fall to improve continuity and make scheduling easier for participants. The hosts said staff will make modest content tweaks based on lessons from the inaugural cohort.
Applicants can apply through the city homepage or the podcast link; questions were directed to the email address provided in the episode.
