HOWARD (NBC 26) — Gary and Sherry Van Helvoirt are longtime residents of the Village of Howard. They've always been interested in their local government, and now, they're getting a behind the scenes look at it.
"The program has been very educational so far and very worthwhile," Sherry Van Helvoirt said.
The program is the Howard Citizens Academy. It includes five, two-hour sessions filled with speakers, tours and hands-on learning about topics like village board operations, public safety and infrastructure.
John Muraski, a Village of Howard trustee, started the program before the pandemic to get residents excited about local government.
"I walk into a village board meeting, and there's one, two, maybe three people..." Muraski said. "...The just day in, day out village meetings where no one is present. We have boards and commissions we have a hard time getting volunteers for."
This year, there's 19 citizens in the program. Muraski said the program's two goals are to encourage learning and "make sure Howard has an open and responsive government."
"It's easy to sit back and watch tv and read our social media, but to go out and get involved, get engaged..." Muraski said. "...Understanding how the budgeting works, understanding how the finances work, understanding how issues are thought about in different perspectives and just being engaged in the community is what folks in Howard want."
"I think it's important to be a well-informed citizen so you can be an ambassador for your village and advocate for things going on," Sherry said.
Gary said he's grateful for the experience so far and to get even more involved in the coming weeks.
"We all live in the same community," Gary said. "It takes a group to make a community work."