Norfolk Town Hall Meetings

Local, Norfolk, Politics 1 Minute

Norfolk MermaidAs a participant in one of the six town hall meetings hosted by Mayor Paul Fraim and held across the city last fall, I received a copy of the summary via mail last week. Entitled “A Report to the Community,” this glossy 15-page booklet compiled the information discussed by the 718 participants. The questions were as follows:

As you look at our City overall and at your Ward specifically, as places to work and/or live and raise a family…

  1. What are you positive about? What makes you pleased to be here?
  2. What needs improvement or causes you concern?
  3. As a group, please select your top 3-5 priority areas for improvement.

The report shows:

  • Positive attributes of Norfolk
    1. Quality of life
    2. Central location
    3. City and community leadership
    4. Diverse community
    5. Downtown and community development
    6. Education
  • Improvement priorities
    1. Affordable housing
    2. Infrastructure
    3. Neighborhoods
    4. Public safety
    5. Recreation
    6. Real estate tax reduction

The report concludes with a section called “Next Steps.” In it, there is a pledge to issue a town hall meeting report card in 2008, which will benchmark the progress made by the city in addressing the priorities identified.

I’m glad to see this report, as it demonstrates that the city is interested in our input. (Of course, it would be nice if it were available on the city’s website so that those who were not able to attend the meetings were able to read thru it.) I’m looking forward to the 2008 report card and hope that it shows progress being made in the identified improvement priorities.

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5 thoughts on “Norfolk Town Hall Meetings”

  1. I wonder if the real estate tax deduction limited to home owners or it it being extended to developers and wealthy real estate speculators (which drives up the cost of housing)?

  4. 10+ weeks of running fullpage, backcover, full color ads in the Compass, plus radio and other media advertising: conservatively – $17,000+ taxdollars spent to promote these [worthwhile] meetings and . . . 718 participants.

    718 participants. A representative sample? Not likely. Some people attended multiple meetings, weighting outcomes. While I don’t disagree with the “Improvement Priorities”, it would be myopic for City officials gaze to long here, and ignore the more significant goings on across the City which should have impact on decision making, e.g.,

    November 7th. 14 hours: 16,000 resident-taxpayers sign a petition calling for City Coucnil to reduce the tax rate to 1.08 next year.

    February 17th. On a dime compared to the City’s spending for their eight Town Halls events resulting nearly identical turnout, 700 resident-taxpayers rally again at the Banque, calling for City Council to reduce the tax rate to 1.08 next year.

    March 7th. Town Hall meeting sponsored by the Norfolk Tea Party, 7pm at Lafayette-Winona Middle School. the Mayor, along with every member of City Council, has beed extended a formal invitation to participate, . . .

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