I’m taking a point of privilege to appeal to Wilson’s new council members to set new standards for communication with their constituents (and others with vested interests in community affairs).
Lord knows the town in which I vote has some serious problems. But many of us are heartened by the examples new council members have set for information-sharing and responsiveness. Two in particular, Ward A’s Eric Friedly and Ward B’s Shean Atkins, maintain robust social media accounts at which they post PSAs, share news about their community interactions and otherwise update residents about projects, issues, and opportunities. (These accounts are separate from their personal Facebook pages.) This kind of open communication is refreshing. And easy.
Sure, we can search the City’s webpage for the rare update. However, a timely post from a council member, especially about issues directly concerning the people who put them in office, is both efficient and effective and allows for comments and quick feedback from community members. No one is expecting council to spill state secrets on Facebook, but the dense fog that shrouds Wilson’s workings needs to dissipate, and these kinds of posts are absolute sunshine.