Involving the citizens of the city is very important when developing the 20 year vision plan. The input of the citizens would be very useful in determining what should be considered most beneficial to work on in the vision plan, and when it should be worked on in terms of priority. This system will not be a “majority rule” system, as some ideas may not be practical or feasible, and others will depend on budget. It will however fit into the planning committee and what steps they can and should put into place for the plan. It will also provide for more trust with the city government as citizens will feel closer to their lawmakers.
Citizens must not be viewed as just customers living in the same area. A customer can complain about customer service, but that does little to change company policy. Citizens should be considered owners, or stakeholders. Customers may pay money to a company or store, but that does not mean they own it. Their voices can and should have some merit in city policy, as they live and work in the city. Citizens’ tax money pays for the city. They pay directly, by having taxes deducted from their paychecks every payday, but also in smaller ways. Each time a citizen pays a tax at a store or restaurant, some of that tax money inevitably returns to the city government. Citizens should be more informed on where and how these tax dollars are spent, so that they can be more informed. Citizens that are more informed feel as if they are closer to the lawmakers and the decision making process (Tat-Kei H0 2002).
The diversity of the city must always be considered as well. As time has gone on, cities have become veritable melting pots. It is easy to find every color, race, religion, and class in any city. Neighborhoods are just as diverse as the people in the city. There are urban neighborhoods and upper class neighborhoods. Apartment complexes and subdivisions in the same area. All of the city’s residents have voices that need to be heard and recognized. One major reason that citizens do not trust their government, is because they feel that their voice is not heard, or listened to. For citizens to really trust their lawmakers, they need to feel that their opinions are important. For example, holding a town hall meeting where any citizen can go and speak with their lawmakers encourages citizens to trust their lawmakers, because now the lawmakers are openly allowing all the citizens that want to speak up and have their voice heard can do that (Holston, 1996). If the citizens trust their committees, then they will trust the decisions of the committee when things are decided on in the 20 year plan.
Citizen inclusion in policy planning brings citizens and lawmakers closer together, and it ensures that citizens feel that they are able to trust the lawmakers that they have put into office. When neither of these things occur, then civil unrest is almost bound to follow, and that could be devastating, especially to a 20 year plan which will be carried through several elected officials. Citizen involvement is mandatory to ensure accurate planning and longevity of this 20 year plan.
References
Holston, James, Appadurai, Arjun (1996). Cities and Citizenship. Public Culture 8. 187-204.
Tat-Kei Ho, Alfred, Coates, Paul (20020. Citizen Participation: Legitimizing Performance Measurement as a Decision Tool. Government Finance Review April (2002), 8-10.
