City Council Meetings Can Be Good for Your Health

On May 21, 2025, I attended a City Council meeting for the City of Las Vegas. While I have been a city employee for four and a half years, and have partially attended a meeting or two, I never really stayed for the duration of one. As an assignment for a Leadership Program I am in for the Nevada Recreation and Park Society, this would essentially check a box for me... but really it did so much more. It opened my eyes to the real work that is done in this austere setting.

The department I work for -- the Department of Parks and Recreation -- is considered (in my eyes anyway) the department of FUN! So why is it important to see what happens behind the doors of Council Chambers? That's for politics. That's for planning. That's for business... It's for business... and because it is about all of those things -- and more, it is important business to be witness to. It is because the decisions that are made within these walls impacts everyone in our community... the community we serve.

The day I went, the City Council voted to approve an agreement with Workforce Connections, a local non-profit organization, to occupy office space in Civic Plaza... the same plaza that I will be responsible for keeping track of special events and meetings. As part of this agreement, the organization will be allowed to use some of our shared spaces a few times throughout each year. This is the part that I knew was in the works. However, what I learned from attending this particular City Council meeting was that the lease agreement will be for twenty years! That... and I learned that EUD has been working on this deal for a very long time, that everyone on the Council seemed excited by this partnership and the work that Workforce Connections does will have a positive impact on our city for decades to come.

City Council meeting for the City of Las Vegas on May 21, 2025.

I encourage you, no matter if you are a city employee or not, regardless of what department you are in or what business you have, it is important to attend a City Council meeting... at least once. You will see that while local (and even big) government gets a bad rap, there are many people out there working hard to make life better for the community. Our field of work and play are all intertwined. Decisions made here impact you more than you might realize.

Why City Council Meetings Matter to You and Your Health

City Council meetings might not be the flashiest events on your calendar, but they are essential to how your community functions—and even how healthy it is.

At these meetings, elected officials discuss and make decisions about the issues that shape daily life: public safety, parks and recreation, affordable housing, infrastructure, transportation, and local business support. They vote on budgets, ordinances, and policies that determine how city resources are distributed and which priorities get funded.

Why does this matter for population health?

Because your health is shaped by where you live—your access to safe parks, walkable streets, clean air, fresh food, and mental health resources. When your City Council funds a new community center, approves a bike lane project, or supports affordable housing, they’re also investing in your health and well-being.

Attending or following City Council meetings helps you stay informed, raise your voice, and hold leaders accountable. You don’t have to be a policy expert to care—you just have to care about your neighborhood, your family, and your future.

Your presence makes a difference. Whether in person, online, or by watching the replay afterward on YouTube, staying connected to your local government helps ensure decisions are made with the community, not just for it.

So next time there’s a City Council meeting, tune in. Your health—and your city—depend on it.