DEVOTED TO REFORM

"Better government" means government that is open and accessible to the people it serves.  As a 21st-century city, Harrisburg should make a far greater number of documents and resources available online, including all government bids and city contracts; neighborhood revitalization plans and pending City Council legislation; the ability to make parking ticket and city tax payments to the City Treasurer; detailed and continuously updated crime statistics; and community-group contact information.
 
But an open and accountable government is about much more than merely increasing access to information.  City Council must also foster ways for citizens to take a more active role in all aspects of our community.  For instance, Harrisburg's cable Channel 20 should feature a more diverse array community events and civic meetings.  Just as is the case for City Council meetings, so also should the public meetings of the School Board, of all the city's Authorities, and of neighborhood groups all be televised. 

Eric Papenfuse knows it is crucial to foster the connections between government and community.  As a Council member, he will invite neighborhood groups to address the Council on a regular basis in order to make City leaders aware of their organization's activities, challenges, and needs.  Along with encouraging greater public participation in Council meetings, Papenfuse will advocate that Council itself take a more direct look at our community by holding a formal  meeting in each neighborhood every three months.  The greater the grass-roots involvement in government, the more responsive the city can be to its residents.

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