As elected officials, we have a responsibility to make sure our municipality is operated responsively, efficiently and effectively. By participating in municipal government training, we gain the knowledge to fulfill this responsibility. The Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government provides 25 hours of instruction available through a combination of in-person and online courses.

Officials must complete seven required courses to graduate. This Wednesday, several members of Council and I attended a full day session in conjunction with the Municipal Association's Hometown Legislative Action Day. Councilman Al Koon and I are 2019 Graduates of the Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government. Both Councilwoman Kay Hollis and Councilman Mike Clonts are former graduates of the Institute.

The full day session was extremely informative and offered an opportunity for us to network with other Municipal officials. One of the highlights was listening to an intergovernmental relations discussion from Lexington Town Mayor Steve McDougal. He gave an in-depth presentation of the significant progress they made tackling the issues facing the Town of Lexington. Over the course of the session we listened to presentations from the Ethics Commission and gained better insight into Municipal Liability. It gave us a better understanding of the importance of strategic planning and goal setting, as well as provided an overview of local government planning and zoning. These sessions were enlightening and, indeed, it was time well spent. We are grateful for all the help we receive from the Municipal association and I plan to continue my training through the Advanced Municipal Elected Officials institute.