Resident praises Martin County's Citizens Academy for hands-on look at county operations

A Martin County resident praised the county's Citizens Academy and Resource Education Series, known as CARES, saying the program gives residents a hands-on, behind-the-scenes look at how county government operates.

The resident told the meeting CARES is "an award-winning program" that runs for six weeks and brings civic-minded participants directly into county operations so they can learn "where my tax dollars are going." The speaker singled out program participants Brett and Sharon McGinnis, who moved to Martin County in 2019, as examples of residents who have benefited.

According to the resident, the curriculum covers practical county work such as mosquito control, street-sign manufacturing and stormwater treatment areas. The course, the speaker said, also arranges field trips to facilities integral to county operations, including the traffic control center and the water treatment plant, and highlights the county's parks, beaches and historic sites.

"I think it's a wonderful class," the resident said, adding that course sessions include presentations by department and division heads and "other county employees working so hard to make Martin County the great place it is to live." The speaker described the program as an opportunity for residents to see projects up close and better understand outreach efforts.

The comments were presented as a public compliment to the county's outreach and civic-education efforts; no formal action or vote on the program was recorded in the transcript.