Get young people active in city, NLR mayor says

Smith taking that message to state post

Smith said his primary focus in North Little Rock will be appointing younger adults to city boards and commissions.

Drawing younger adults into local government service is necessary to hear fresh ideas, learn different perspectives and create a new pool of people to serve on city commissions and even run for elected municipal positions, North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith told the City Council on Monday.

Smith will be sworn in for a one-year term as president of the Arkansas Municipal League at an 11:30 a.m. luncheon Friday at the Municipal League’s statewide conference.

Smith plans to issue the same challenge to all cities and towns statewide, he said, that he made to his own City Council: Get out and recruit adults in their 30s and 40s to become involved in their city government. He said he’s seen from his own staff how adults from different generations will “bring a different outlook on things.”

“We’ve got to start encouraging our younger people to get involved,” Smith said. “This is going to bring more ideas and other ways to do things into our discussions.”

Smith said his primary focus in North Little Rock will be appointing younger adults to city boards and commissions. He challenged each council member to bring him five names of residents in their 30s or 40s for consideration to be appointed to city commissions as spots come open. He plans to ask other cities to make the same effort in their communities, he said.

“Before I ask 500 cities to do it, I thought I’d ask our city to be first,” he said.

Council members unanimously approved a resolution “recognizing the critical importance of the diversity of ideas and thoughts that come with a range of generational perspectives,” including decisions involving technology, education, community planning and social recreation.