There’s no argument about the value of public input in making important government decisions. According to GFOA, good public participation practices can help governments be more accountable and responsive and can also improve the public’s perception of governmental performance and the value the public receives from the government.
But despite their potential, these benefits aren’t easy for many communities to achieve. Scores of people have told us that their community’s approach to garnering citizen input is limited to holding regular public meetings. That’s a popular approach, certainly, and one that’s often required by statute, but it may fall far short of garnering the kind of information leaders can use to make hard decisions.
- Publication date: December 2022
- Authors: Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene