The Town of St. George 2025 Comprehensive Plan is a document outlining how our town will guide growth, preserve its character, and strengthen resilience over the next decade. Over the next few weeks we will have a series of posts that highlights six major themes: land use and development; municipal services and infrastructure; natural resources and climate resilience; community engagement and governance; economy and workforce; and housing. This is part 4: Community Engagement & Governance.
The Community Engagement & Governance sections of the St. George Comprehensive Plan 2025 emphasize transparency, inclusiveness, and collaboration as essential to effective local government. The Town operates under a Town Meeting–Select Board–Town Manager system, where voters act as the legislative body and the Select Board and Town Manager oversee executive functions. Numerous boards and advisory committees support decision-making on planning, conservation, budgeting, and resilience. The plan underscores the importance of active public participation, noting a robust engagement process that included surveys, interviews, public meetings, and school outreach to ensure that residents’ voices shaped priorities. Policies encourage the Town to strengthen communication through digital and in-person channels, recruit diverse committee members, and provide timely updates on programs and decisions. Overall, the plan envisions a responsive and participatory governance model where collaboration among residents, committees, and town officials drives informed, equitable, and sustainable decision-making.
If you'd like to read more specifically about Community Engagement & Governance in St. George, see page 36 (et.al.) of the plan.
This summary was produced with the help of AI, but reviewed by a member of the Comprehensive Planning Committee.