There are many different ways for residents to become involved with the City and now is the perfect time to get involved with local government. The City is currently seeking applications for a vacancy for District 2 on City Council. The term of appointment is expected to be September 8, 2015 through April 12, 2016. Hopefully the person who is appointed to District 2 will enjoy their time on City Council and run for the open seat again in April 2016, which will be a one year term and then again in April 2017 for a regular two year term. This is a short term appointment, but is a great introduction as to why and how the City runs the way it does. If you are interested please visit the Council Vacancy section of the City’s website for information on application materials.
You can also get involved by sitting on either a board or committee when openings become available. This is also a great introduction to local government. If you are interested in an open position, send an email to dtoland@rfcity.org explaining that you are interested in filling the open seat and I will do my best to get you to serve on the board or committee.
City Council meetings take place every second and fourth Tuesday of each month and are open to the public and are televised. The meeting agendas are posted on the City’s website so feel free to come to any meeting that you are interested in. At every meeting there is a public comment, petitions, requests and communications section where the public can ask questions or comment on something of interest to them.
Finally, volunteering is a wonderful way to get involved. There are many different organizations and groups in the City and they are always looking for new members or volunteers to help as much or as little as you can. Volunteering is a great way to meet other people in the community. If you are interested in volunteering, the River Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is a good place to start looking for different groups or organizations. Talking to your neighbors and friends and learning about what they are involved in is another great way to learn more about volunteering opportunities.
Mayor Dan Toland