Mayor's In, Mayor's Out program debuts in May

4/30/2012 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2012

Contact: Jeannie Roberts (440) 885-8181/(216) 346-9935

PARMA, Ohio – Mayor Tim DeGeeter, citing a desire to bring residents closer to City Hall, will begin a program of “office hours” this month. DeGeeter first announced the program, called “Mayor’s In, Mayor’s Out,” in his State of the City speech in February.

The program will begin in City Hall on May 23 at 5 p.m. Here’s how the program will work:

Each month, DeGeeter will announce when he will hold office hours that month and whether he will be “in” or “out” – he will alternate between his City Hall office and a public place such as a city park, a school or a library. On months when the mayor is “out,” announcements of the date, time and location will be made in advance, using social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, and local media outlets.

On the designated evening, residents can show up and have five minutes to talk to the mayor one-on-one on a first-come, first-served basis. If an issue requires the expertise of a particular department director, it will be brought to the attention of that director by the mayor. On some evenings, select directors may also be in attendance.

Then, shortly after the event, every resident who participates will receive a follow up from DeGeeter and one from the appropriate director, if applicable, addressing the issue that was raised.

“I want to use this program to help residents feel closer to their local government and to encourage them to actively participate,” DeGeeter said. “When I was a legislator, I often said the best ideas came from the constituents I served. And, as mayor, I still believe that that is true. I look forward to beginning the program.”