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As a class of ’15 grad, Mayor recommends ‘Intro’
One of the lessons many people learned over the past year is that some things are worth our time and energy while others are not. Quarantine altered the way we work, how we spend our time and how we spend our money. Setting new, and perhaps better, priorities may be one of the few positive things to come out of the pandemic.
If community involvement is something that interests you, I have a suggestion. Farragut is already a fantastic place to live, work and play, but it can only be improved as more people step into an active role with the Town. If this is something you’re considering now or think you might consider later, our Intro to Farragut program is a great way to get started. After the first class, you’ll be looking forward to the next one.
Intro to Farragut is a series of classes we offer each year on the Town’s history, services, finances, public safety partners, economic development initiatives and public schools. Even if you think you know everything there is to know about Farragut, I guarantee you’ll walk away with new information. We even have special speakers who will cover how the Town got started.
You’ll also make new friends. In addition to the classes, participants work together on a service project. This year, the class will work on a project at Farragut High School. Participants are also required to attend one Board of Mayor and Aldermen and one Municipal Planning Commission meeting. There is an optional tour of Farragut with Town administrator David Smoak. It takes place during the day, but I highly recommend that participants work this informative tour into their schedules. You’ll visit some interesting places you wouldn’t otherwise get to see.
So, why would you want to invest your time in a class like this? The answer, in a nutshell, is that it will make you a more knowledgeable member of our community. Our hope is that participants will apply this knowledge by serving on a Town board or committee. This is where your expertise can be used to help plan the Town’s future – from possible park projects to tourism initiatives to upcoming Farragut Museum exhibits.
Becoming educated about how the Town functions will allow you to speak knowledgeably about how and why things get done in Farragut. Many people don’t understand where the Town’s revenue comes from, how zoning works or that all of our committees, including the Board of Mayor and Aldermen, are made up of volunteers. You can help educate the community by passing the things you learn on to your friends and neighbors.
There are plenty of people who are willing to share their opinions from their couches on social media, but few who are willing to take the time to become educated on how municipal government functions. These are the people we want as elected leaders and committee members. As a 2015 graduate myself, I personally recommend the Intro to Farragut program.
To learn more and apply, see townoffarragut/introtofarragut.org.
