Friday, August 29, 2014

Why Cities Matter, and a Website for the Rest of the Year

State Fair-goers who visit the League's "Cities Matter" booth from now through Labor Day have an opportunity to play a game show that tests their knowledge and offers up revealing facts about cities in Minnesota. Even after the final corn dog is slathered with mustard, though, the effort to help Minnesotans learn about city services continues year-round.

The Cities Matter website, recently updated with new information, serves as the cornerstone for a campaign designed to raise awareness of city services and their direct contribution to Minnesota's quality of life, and to help citizens understand how truly important cities are in their own daily lives.

Pages devoted to specific city services and how those services are funded provide facts that are good conversation-starters not only for those already involved in city government, but also for those who wish to gain a more fundamental understanding of how it works. There is also a special section for teachers who want to include city government studies in their classroom lesson plans.

Social media devotees may also want to check-out the Cities Matter blog and Facebook page, and to follow Cities Matter on Twitter for city news updates.

So take a little time and get to know more about what cities do, and how that work affects family, friends, and neighbors in your community—365 days a year.