Priority Boards and Citizen Participation

Our most recent poll indicates the need to raise awareness about the Priority Board system in Dayton.

Priority Boards are the official citizen participation forums or vehicles here. They have monthly meetings that are open to the community. I’ve been to a couple of meetings, and I found them very informative. There have been City Commissioners, representatives from Dayton Public Schools, representatives from Dayton Metro Library, local police, and other community members at the meetings I attended.

This system appears to be quite good, except for one thing. In order for the Priority Boards to serve their purpose, citizens need to participate. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to have a system in place if it isn’t being used. This is not to say that there were no citizens there; there just weren’t as many as there could have been.

Each area of the city has its own Priority Board. You can find information on the Priority Board for your neighborhood here. If you are unsure of which board serves your area, here is a map of Dayton neighborhoods. There are also many neighborhood groups that serve to communicate with the Priority Board.

I encourage you to attend meetings and let your voice be heard. Let them know what problems you see facing your neighborhood, and your ideas for improvement. Your Priority Board is your link to City Hall and it is there to help all citizens be active and engaged in what is going on in their area.

This system has been around since 1975 and has had some good press over the years. Please take some time to read about their history and role in the community. Then, if you have the time and inclination, go to a meeting and get involved!