OpEd: Local Governments Need More Millennial Leaders

This OpEd first ran in the February 27 iss ue of Metromode 

Emily Thompson serves as a program manager for the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, where she works to engage young people in government, ensuring that their voices are heard and their talents are tapped. A Michigan native, Emily worked for Congressman John D. Dingell and the United Community Housing Coalition, a Detroit-based nonprofit, before earning her Master of Urban Planning at the University of Michigan. She joined the Suburbs Alliance in 2012. 


The Times, They Are A-Changin'

Last year, Paul Krugman aptly blamed our sprawling development patterns for Detroit's fiscal crisis, and in response to Krugman's piece, a blogger for the Streetsblog USA blamed our sprawling development patterns on our region's lack of political will to "change what needs to be changed". Last month, a controversialNew Yorker article about a certain sprawl-loving county executive seemed to affirm the blogger's point. 

But the times, they are a-changin'. 

In 2013, Millennials (age 18-35) accounted for 22.5% of the population in metro Detroit, and 29% of registered voters, but only 6% of local board and commission members. What's more, they accounted for less than 4% of councilpersons. Then in November, voters in Detroit, Farmington Hills, Hamtramck, Lincoln Park and Madison Heights elected new Millennials to council—doubling the percentage of "young" councilpersons.

Why should you care? Because our local governments, and our region, face a number of social, environmental and economic challenges, and should engage a diverse group of residents in solving these challenges. And because incorporating the ideas and perspectives of young people, who up to this point have been underrepresented in local governments will help these entities, and our region, be more forward-thinking.

Take, for example, sprawl. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson isquoted as saying he loves, needs and will work to promote sprawl. 

Mr. Patterson, 1954 called and wants its economic development strategy back. 

My professional opinion and personal feelings on sprawl aside, young people find it undesirable. How do I know? We asked them, and more than 500 of them told us they want to live in a region characterized by a network of compact, mixed-use spaces; a region where development, redevelopment and adaptive reuse support and enhance existing neighborhoods; a region with a comprehensive transportation system. 

These young voices are the voices we desperately need to participate in local government, on local appointed boards and commissions, and on city councils. 

Which is why, with a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, we recently launched On Board (OnBoardMI.org). What's On Board? For local officials, On Board is a secure database they can use to more easily manage information about local boards and commissions. For residents like you and me, it's a website we can use to find information about these bodies and get involved. 

The idea for On Board was developed by representatives from 23 metro Detroit communities. These individuals wanted to see local governments do more to engage young people, so they created a set of best practices (PDF) designed to help communities provide more information about local boards on their own websites. On Board was envisioned as both a tool to support the implementation of these best practices as well as a one-stop-shop for information.

The prototype version of On Board launched earlier this month, and Ferndale, Ypsilanti and Washtenaw County are already taking advantage of it. Now it's your turn. Visit On Board take a look and weigh in on our Feedback page. Do you want to see On Board in your city? What should we consider as we push to expand On Board's functionality and hopefully open the site to communities across the region and the state? 

Better yet, are you a Millennial? Join the thousands of volunteers who serve on a local board or commission in metro Detroit. Let your voice be heard.

And remember—you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone, for the times they are a-changin.'