Citizen Volunteer and Involvement Opportunities
Citizen Involvement
Boards & Commissions / Sports & Leisure / Stormwater Education / Water Conservation / Spruce / Citizens Assisting Police / Community Emergency Response Team / Community Watch / Business Watch / School of Government
Interactive Government
Public Hearings and Meetings / E-Government
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Citizen Involvement
Local government is the closest of all the branches of government to the people.
The part-time elected Town Council members – all who live and work among us -- set the broad policy direction for the Town.
The full-time Town Manager and professional staff implement the Town Council’s vision and direction as they work daily to provide services that directly impact Cary citizens, such as:
- Water and sewer
- Solid waste and recycling collection
- Police and fire protection
- Building inspection
- Planning for where and what types of development will occur, and
- Planning for future parks, roads and other amenities to serve the people in our community.
The staff and Town Council members personally interact with citizens on a daily basis.
At the Town of Cary, we believe an involved citizenry is the hallmark of a strong community and an effective government. Indeed, it was a citizen’s movement in 1871 that resulted in the formation of the Town of Cary. Today, opportunities abound for Cary citizens to continue taking part in shaping their government, their communities, and their own futures.The Cary Town Council recognizes and values the importance of citizen participation in local government. Two of Cary's value statements directly speak to this:
> Our organization exists to serve our citizens. We will be open, ensure access, encourage involvement and be accountable to our citizens.
> We will achieve the best results through effective teamwork, strategic partnerships and community participation.
To achieve these values, the Town of Cary offers numerous volunteer and involvement opportunities as mechanisms to engage citizens in the democratic process. Please consider sharing your time and talents to make OUR Cary a better place for today and future generations.
How does citizen participation and volunteerism benefit Cary citizens?
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Citizen volunteers experience:
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Satisfaction in sharing their talents and shaping the future of our Town;
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Pride in leading the way and modeling the importance and value of good citizenship -- giving of themselves in a tangible way for the good of our community;
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Personal enrichment as they meet other Cary citizens with diverse life experiences and cultural backgrounds;
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A sense of civic accomplishment in ensuring the citizens’ perspective is represented in our government; and
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Ownership in their Town of Cary government.
How does citizen participation and volunteerism benefit the Town of Cary?
The Town staff and elected officials experience:
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Satisfaction as we expand and enhance the services we offer to do things we could never do on our own;
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The privilege of interacting with our citizens;
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A better understanding of our citizens’ perspectives;
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An opportunity to learn from our citizens and to ensure our policies and practices are the best they can be for our community as a whole; and
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An opportunity to ensure our government is truly a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” as was stated by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysberg Address.
Learn more about our numerous volunteer and involvement opportunities, and begin sharing your time and talents to better OUR Cary!
Citizens may apply to serve on one of 10 council-appointed boards and commissions, covering Town interests such as recreation, economic development, technology, cultural arts and land use practices. The Town Clerk’s staff recruits volunteers each May and June, and each September the Town Council selects the volunteers who will serve in these capacities. This volunteer time commitment ranges from one to three years.
In addition to boards and commissions, the Town at times forms special committees and task forces to work for a finite time on specific, current issues. The Town Council makes appointments to these special groups as needed. This volunteer commitment varies with each committee.
For more information about Boards and Commissions and current Special Committees, call the Town Clerk’s office at
Staff in the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department (PRCR) recruits volunteers to build a community and sense of belonging. Volunteers may participate in many areas, including coaching athletic teams, trail workdays, park clean-up, maintenance and enhancement projects and special projects. Examples of special projects include Eagle Scout projects, local history guides, assisting with festivals and events, and supporting Applause! Cary Youth Theater.
The Cary Teen Council is a volunteer service organization for middle and high school students. Teens looking to get involved with their community can give back by joining the Cary Teen Council.
Several Town Council appointed Boards and Commissions work closely with the PRCR Department, including PRCR Advisory Board, Sister Cities Commission and the Public Art Advisory Board. The Athletics Committee, Greenways Committee, and Cultural Arts Committee are Citizen Advisory Committees that serve as advisory bodies to the PRCR Advisory Board
In addition, the Festivals Committee helps plan the Lazy Daze and Spring Daze Arts & Crafts Festivals each year. Citizen led committees exist in other areas as well, including the Friends of Page Walker, Friends of Hemlock Bluffs, and Sister Cities Association.
For more information about PRCR volunteer opportunities, call (919) 469-4061.
Citizens may volunteer to stencil storm drains in the Town of
Volunteers attend a brief training session and then, using stenciling kits provided by the Town, spray-paint drains with a “Flows to the
For more information about
The Block Leader Program is a grassroots communication effort to educate citizens about conservation and the environment. These volunteers are resources for their neighborhoods, providing information and materials to help residents become more conscientious about their water use, solid waste disposal, stormwater runoff, and recycling practices.
Block Leaders annually attend a one-hour training session and pick up their materials for distribution. Block Leaders do not have any enforcement responsibilities.
For more information about the Block Leader Program, call
Spruce
Spruce
Spruce is a volunteer-based program designed to connect citizens to beautification, litter reduction, and environmental service projects in our community. Volunteers may participate in biannual town-wide litter sweeps, Adopt-a-Spot opportunities, garden projects, tree plantings, outdoor improvement projects in public places and neighborhood-scale sweeps.
For more information about the Spruce Program, call
Help
Before becoming
For more information about joining the CAP Team, call (919) 469-4324.
Community Emergency Response Team
To help
Participants are educated about disaster preparedness and trained in basic disaster response skills. CERT members are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
For more information about CERT, call
Community Watch is a program that allows communities to band together to unite against crime. Participants act as the "eyes and ears" of the police and report suspicious activity when they see it.
For more information about participating in the Community Watch Program, call the Police Department’s Community Services Unit at (919) 469-4324.
Business Watch is a free crime prevention initiative that brings together local business people, the Police Department and Citizens Assisting Police volunteers. Businesses that register with the program will receive faxes and e-mail messages about local crime trends and potential problems. This can help merchants know what to look for and avoid being victimized while helping police spot suspects in crimes that occurred elsewhere. Police will also use the program to keep merchants informed about new laws and regulations.
For more information about Business Watch, call the Police Department’s Community Services Unit at (919) 469-4324.
The Town of Cary School of Government is a “citizen’s college” that provides the community with a behind-the-scenes look at Town government structure, culture and decision-making. Citizens apply for the program and the Town chooses a small group that represents a cross-section of Cary by age, gender and area of town. Through discussion and hands-on activities, students obtain greater awareness of Town planning and operations.
For more information about the School of Government, call (919) 469-4006.
Interactive Government
Attend Meetings
The Town of Cary is committed to being open, transparent and accessible, also known as "Sunshine" in government.
The North Carolina Open Meetings Law gives the public the right to attend meetings of public bodies. To raise Cary citizens' awareness of their rights under the Open Meetings Law, Town staff has created a calendar that displays Town meetings. All meetings of the Town Council as well as those of its appointed boards and commissions and committees are open to the public, and we invite and welcome you to attend.
Regular Town Council meetings include “Public Speaks Out,” a period designated specifically for public comment. In addition, many council meetings include public hearings during which citizens may speak about the subject of that particular hearing.
Notices of meeting times and locations are posted on the Town Hall bulletin board, which is located at the south entrance of Town Hall (316 N. Academy Street); on the Town's Web site, and on Cary TV 11. Meeting notices also appear each Wednesday in the local newspaper, The Cary News. Additionally, display monitors inside Town Hall display the meetings occurring at Town Hall each day.
For more information about public meetings, call the Town Clerk’s office at (919) 469-4011.
As citizens of
From Web polls to the latest news to a growing list of on-line governmental services including program registration and utility payments, www.townofcary.org is where to go to get and give ideas and information concerning the Cary community.
Subscribe now to our electronic mailing list service and never miss an important announcement from your Town government. Additionally, follow the Town on Twitter and receive important alerts both day and night.
Cary TV 11, the Town’s government access cable television channel, offers information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Programming includes wink - a live look at rush-hour traffic via more than 20 cameras throughout
Your Town of
