NE Valley Times

The city of Scottsdale has been recognized with the 2024 Voice of the People (VOP) Award for Excellence in Online Engagement, marking its second consecutive year receiving this honor.

The VOP Awards are unique in that they are the only nationally acknowledged accolades given to local governments based on resident input, government performance, and community data in decision-making. This year marks the 16th iteration of these awards, which are presented by Polco and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Scottsdale has employed various online engagement tools such as "Speak Up Scottsdale," where residents can provide feedback on city issues, programs, services, and projects. "Hello Scottsdale" allows community members to offer feedback via text/SMS. Additionally, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X, Nextdoor, and LinkedIn facilitate important dialogue between residents and the local government by connecting them with services, events, and updates. Polco also enables residents to share their opinions through questionnaires and polls.

The city's public involvement team is committed to expanding methods of public feedback to engage more voices within the community as issues are explored and decisions made. They continually assess new tools and innovative methods that result in increased resident participation.

Award categories for VOP include excellence or transformation in areas such as economy, safety, natural environment, health and wellness, mobility, education, arts & culture, parks and recreation, utilities, community design, trust in government, budget & finance, online outreach, and online engagement.

Polco presents the Voice of the People Awards in partnership with ICMA. The complete list of winners was announced at the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference held in Pittsburgh.