Mayor puts emphasis on community involvement

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July 7, 2009

By Jennifer Jacob Brown / staff writer The Meridian Star Tue Jul 07, 2009, 11:37 PM CDT

New Meridian Mayor Cheri Barry has already made plans to come through on one of her campaign promises - involving the community in the governing process.

Barry said at a City Council meeting Tuesday that she will use an advisory committee of citizens to help appoint new school board members.

Two school board members' terms are currently expired, Barry said, while one other member's term will expire in March of next year. She said the terms of Fred Wile and George Myers have already expired and the term of Ed Lynch will expire next year.

With the help of the committee members, Barry said she will select school board members both by looking at resumes and by asking school board hopefuls to submit a 10-point plan on improving public education in Meridian.

"What I want to do is involve this community and give ownership back to the residents of Meridian," she said. "I want their input. I want their ideas."

The committee, Barry said, will be "a diverse team of residents of the city of Meridian," who have the best interests of the school system at heart. She said she wants to help create for Meridian a school district that other districts look to as a model.

"We can get her there," Barry said of the school system.

She said the school board advisory committee will be the first of many advisory committees made up of regular citizens. There will be a Threefoot project committee, an economic development committee, a health care committee, and a Young Professionals committee, just to name a few, Barry said.

"I just think that we need individuals in this community to take leadership and bring ideas to the table. That's what she (the community) has been lacking," Barry said.

The committees will not be by invitation only, she added. Anyone who is interested in serving on one of the mayor's advisory committees is encouraged to call the mayor's office and make their interest known.

"The more the merrier," she said. "We want as many people as involved in this community as possible so that she (the community) will reach her fullest potential."

She said she hopes to soon involve the community in clean-up efforts, which she said will likely start with small parks.

"Community involvement, inclusiveness, making sure that everyone feels a part of and takes pride in our beautiful city," will be major themes of her tenure, Barry said.

"I want people to come from out of town and notice that this is a community that takes pride in itself," she said.

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