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March 17, 2006Forum to focus on local servicesOfficials to talk about challenges governments faceTRAVERSE CITY - An upcoming four-county forum aims to arm residents with the knowledge to actively participate in their local government.The League of Women Voters of the Grand Traverse Area will host a "State of Our Counties" forum at 4:30 p.m. March 22 at the Traverse Area District Library in Traverse City. Administrators from Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Antrim and Benzie counties are scheduled to attend. They will talk about services provided by local governments and the challenges their counties face. Mary Grover, president of the local League of Women Voters, said the nonpartisan group's study of local governance highlighted the need for better understanding of how counties work. "This presents an opportunity for the county administrators to help citizens understand their government," she said. "It's ours, and we're responsible for keeping track of it." The 90-minute program will begin with presentations by each of the four county administrators, followed by questions from the audience. The League of Women Voters of Michigan recently launched an in-depth study of local governance in Michigan, and the local chapter is focusing on townships. "We found that you can't understand townships without understanding counties," Grover said. The League of Women Voters frequently sponsors forums featuring candidates and local issues. Grover said this is the first to focus on the state of local counties as they struggle to provide mandated services and meet other citizen needs with diminishing financial resources.
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