I sent a slightly longer version of the following letter to the Chapel Hill Mayor and Council last week regarding the manager search, but I think that the points are pressing and critical no matter who is in charge.
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In the past 15 years, technology has blossomed and sprouted many new forms of communication that we could never have imagined in the 1980's. And yet the current town practices regarding public engagement don't seem to have changed in decades.
The field of e-democracy (http://e-democracy.org/) was forged 12 years ago as a way to enable more participation and engagement in local government. This is but one of many ways the Town could enhance communication and information flow with and between residents. For a community that prides ourselves on being forward-thinking, we are way behind the times when it comes to open and accessible government.
This issue touches every other concern addressed by our town, as I believe there are no topics on which the Council does not benefit from hearing the voices of its constituents. It is time for Chapel Hill to be that exemplar to our neighbors once again and show that we are not afraid of democracy and that in fact we actually value the ideas and opinions of the diverse members of our community.
I presume the Search Committee feels that any of the three finalists is fully qualified to serve as our Manager, regardless of their age or political history, or they would not have made it to this stage of the process. I urge you to consider this need for more transparent and communicative government when you consider the candidates. This requires not just a familiarity with technology, but comfort with the chaos of democracy as we work together on collective solutions.
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