The Perspective of a City Employee on Local Politics: A Q&A with Ginny Sawyer

In my experience both as a political science minor and as a local government employee, one of the biggest obstacles for citizens to engage with their government is knowledge. Even at the town or city level, government can be confusing, complicated, and flat out boring. Where there are numerous things competing for our attention, we will often avoid the things that don’t affect us in the moment, or the things we know little about.

This hurdle is quite often insurmountable; there are always the very engaged few, but most people just don’t have the time to give to learning from and interfacing with their elected officials. Local officials are usually the most accessible, yet the least accessed, largely because of this very problem.

In researching this issue, I was led to Fort Collins Policy and Project Manager Ginny Sawyer. In her position with the city, Sawyer is essentially at the front lines of policy creation for the city government on a host of issues — by all measures the very essence of local politics. I reached out to Sawyer to get her take on why we all should find the time to connect with our local government.

McKenzie Paine: So, tell me a little about your role within the city government.

Ginny Sawyer: I am a Project and Policy Manager in the City Manager’s Office. I work on both internal and external projects that are Council priorities or that involve many different departments.

MP: What got you into government? What made you decide this is the career path you wanted to take?

GS: Mine has been an “unplanned career.” I have a BS in Journalism and a Masters of Education degree. I started at the City in Neighborhood Services doing community building work and have been in my current position for 5 years. I didn’t know local government was an option when I was in school but I’m grateful to be here. I appreciate that my — and the City’s — goal is to make this the best community possible for all residents.

MP: Even on the local level, governing can be a daunting subject for many people — especially college students with a thousand other priorities in life. But why should we all pay at least some attention to what is happening within the Fort Collins government?

GS: I actually find that the majority of our residents have a thousand things going on whether it’s studying, working, or parenting — and yet it’s good to be engaged at some level because residents are the voice of the community. Knowing who your councilmember is can be an easy start. Following the City Facebook page can be an easy way to see what meetings or events are happening. And I always encourage folks to come to any legislative process with a question to understand before demanding an outcome.

MP: To expand on that a little, how else can people who are interested get involved in the legislative process? Are there ways it can become accessible to the public?

GS: I would say that the City is always open to suggestions on how to make information and engagement more accessible. City staff are happy to meet one-on-one or present to groups on any topic.

MP: Finally, if you had the chance to talk to someone and give them one reason why they should become involved in their local government, what would you tell them?

GS: Local government impacts everyone, whether it’s roads, water, parks, police, code enforcement, or polices. Unlike state and national government, the local level is where you can really impact change and have an influence.

The moral of the story: if you have been avoiding local government because it is uninteresting or confusing, it doesn’t have to be. Even just following some of the simple steps that Sawyer points out can lead to better involvement in the long run.

As Sawyer also mentions, it’s with your local government where you can make the biggest difference. Yes, it might be more uninteresting, but it is also more important. Police, roads, utilities, construction — they are all ultimately governed by the city government. It’s up to us to make sure those we elect are doing what is in our collective best interest and making sure those vital services we need to be safe and healthy are provided.

So, read up on what’s been happening in the city, reach out to your city council member on an issue that has been on your mind, or, if all else fails, simply follow the city on Facebook. Having even basic knowledge of what is happening in the community gives you the chance to make Fort Collins what you want it to be, rather than just another city.