As the Mayor of this wonderful city of El Dorado, I am excited about the opportunity to share information with our residents. It is my hope that this will be another outlet for questions to be answered, procedures to discussed and practices to be shared. In the future, I would like to highlight events and their significance for our city growth.
One of the things that has been very beneficial in sharing information is the “Open Door” Policy. It has given the public access to the office to share issues and concerns. Before the pandemic, residents were welcome to make an appointment or even drop by. I found that many residents had never been inside City Hall. Some had only come by to purchase trash bags or purchase permits. Quite a few have been regular Council Meeting attendees, but the vast majority even then had never been in the Mayor’s office. It is refreshing to know that residents feel welcome and are willing to help address issues that will make our City better!
While stopping by has its benefits, many of the city’s residents have taken advantage of being able to call and speak with me directly. If I am not the person that can help you, it is always my desire to get you to the person that can. My office number is 870-862-7911, my city cell phone number is 870-315-0004 and my email address is [email protected]. It is important to be able to address the needs of the residents.
In addition to having an “Open Door” Policy and being accessible by phone calls, I also address issues and report events during my Mayor’s Monday Morning Movement Moment. It a live broadcast on Facebook every Monday, generally done from the Council Chambers. People can tune in via my personal Facebook page and the Mayor Sunshine page dedicated to city business. Live broadcasts during events has also proved to be a great way of sharing information.
We always encourage our residents to attend the City Council Meetings, generally held twice a month. It is a great opportunity to understand how local government works. Residents always have access to the council representatives. It is important to know which ward you live in and which council member to contact to address your issues with on a consistent basis. Any council member can assist you, but it is good to develop a relationship with those two that live in your ward. After each meeting we are available to speak to residents one on one.
Since everyone isn’t physically able to attend each council meeting, I am grateful to Noalmark Broadcasting for allowing me to address our residents during the radio morning show on BIG 96, The Eagle 93 and The Heart & Soul “Wake Up Train” 98.7. It gives me an opportunity to recap the meeting for the listeners. Soon we will be able to broadcast live during the meetings.
Since the pandemic, we have started broadcasting the meetings on Facebook from our city page and the Mayor Sunshine page. We have also limited our meetings to once a month. When issues have occurred needing immediate actions, we have conducted special meetings. These meetings are usually also broadcast live. We want our residents to be informed and involved!
Again, I am grateful for the opportunity to report information in this column! We have gone through quite a bit in our city this year and I am hopeful that the lines of communication being open will assist in promoting unity in the city we all love and want to see prosper! All of us working together is the Movement I expressed in the run for Mayor. It will be the only way we can survive the distractions set out to divide us. In all your getting, get an understanding. Communication is key. I am hereto assist. We are the Movement and the Movement Continues!
Veronica Smith-Creer is the Mayor of El Dorado. She can be reached at [email protected].