Published: October 07, 2008 11:55 am      

Members needed for advisory committees

By Kelly Young

kyoung@jacksonvilleprogress.com

The city of Jacksonville is looking for members of the community who may be interested in serving on one the city’s many advisory boards. City Secretary Betty Thompson said the city recently has had trouble getting people to volunteer for the various advisory roles.

“I don’t know why, maybe they have forgotten that we have all these boards, but the city is having a hard time right now getting people to apply for seats on the many boards that advise the city,” Thompson said. “We want to encourage the people to think about serving on a board for the city, and we would certainly appreciate any involvement.”

According to Thompson, there are nine active boards that provide advice to the city staff and Jacksonville City Council. They are the ACCESS Board (two members appointed by Jacksonville), the Board of Adjustment, Appeals and Codes (five members), the Economic Advisory Committee (11 members), the Jacksonville Beautification Committee (12 members), the Jacksonville Economic Development Corporation (seven members), the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (five members), the Planning and Zoning Commission (five members), the Jacksonville Library Board (15 members) and the Lake Jacksonville Advisory Board (five members).

Jacksonville also appoints members to the Cherokee County Appraisal District Board of Directors, but that body does not serve in an advisory role for the city.

A term on any of the city’s various boards and committees appointed by the City Council lasts for three years. According to Thompson, each entity has its own rules and guidelines, and may operate in entirely different manners.

“They all make their appointments at different times of the year; the Beautification Committee makes appointments in January and August; the Library Board does it in October; and JEDCO does it in June of every year,” she said. “Some of the boards have term limits, others don’t. If someone is interested in a particular board, then I can certainly send them some information on that board and its bylaws.”

While a number of the committees only meet when they have business to conduct, most of the city’s boards meet on a monthly basis.

Anyone interested in volunteering to serve the community on a board, or are just looking for more information, can contact Thompson at 902-586-3510 or at betty.thompson@jacksonvilletx.org. Volunteering does not guarantee placement on a board.