From the Desk of Former Mayor Malinda Miles

It has been two years since I decided to remove myself from the political scene in Mount Rainier, MD, Prince George's County, and the State of Maryland. Holding the lofty position of Mayor was such a great honor, but as the years flew by, I realized that it was time to do something else -- get a life.! I did, and still continue to provide resources to the residents through The Front Porch Ministries (TFPM). Real people pass through The Front Porch Ministries weekly. LIFE is good.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Time To Talk Campaign launched by President Tracy Gant

Dear Colleagues:

I began my term as President of this organization with the goal of building greater inclusivity in our communities. The need for greater understanding and compassion has only grown since we gathered in Ocean City this past June. From the horrific attack at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, the multiple and ongoing shootings of unarmed black men in communities across the country, to the senseless killing of five Dallas police officers in early July.

On some level, all of these incidents are the result of our fears, our anger, and our failure to effectively empathize with each other. And the only way we can overcome these symptoms of our disconnection is to engage with each other. So, I am encouraging each and every municipality throughout Maryland to consider who among us may feel excluded, unheard and marginalized, because if we cannot discuss the issues that divide us, we cannot begin to address them.

I'm pleased to announce that MML has launched Time To Talk MD, a campaign designed to help communities talk through their tough issues. For some communities, it may be racial inequity, for others it may be ensuring they're not marginalizing community members based on gender, gender identification, age, physical or mental ability, religion, culture, or language barriers.

So that each and every one of us has the tools and inspiration to initiate these conversations, and participate in them effectively, Time To Talk MD will begin with a series of regional forums. These forums will bring together a number of mediators, facilitators and community leaders who have successfully conducted community conversations. These gatherings will provide us, as municipal leaders, with resources and best practices to move forward with our own community conversations.

Time To Talk MD was jumpstarted by a video featuring several officials, who answered the call when I asked for help to articulate my vision. And now, I ask each of you as municipal officials with the health and well-being of the State of Maryland as our common bond, to help us chip away at our disconnection.

Please distribute the video via your local cable access networks. Let residents know that you're a part of a State League that will help you tackle tough discussions.

If you're a central Maryland municipality, plan to attend MML's first Regional forum in early December.

If your region is interested in hosting a forum please contact Tom Reynolds, MML Education Director. Remember, these dialogues will specifically target training municipal officials to help them host town halls/conversations revolved around issues specific to your community.

Spread the word about what both you and the League are doing via social media by using the hashtag #TimeToTalkMD

You will also see elements of inclusivity and tackling tough conversations within upcoming Municipal Maryland articles and workshops at the 2017 Summer Conference. As municipal officials, we must lead by example and I'm proud that our League is, once again, arming us with the tools we need to be the strongest, most effective leaders we can be.

I look forward to you joining this journey to engage one another and your community, because...it's #TimeToTalkMD.

Sincerely,

Tracy Gant

MML President

Mayor, Edmonston

Mayor Malinda Miles

As a long-time resident of Mount Rainier and a homeowner, it is important to me that municipal government be inclusive of all of its residents. It is equally important that information be communicated through all possible channel so that residents can get involved. It is also important for residents to volunteer and serve on committees, commissions, boards and task forces. I truly believe that municipal government is the government closes to the people, and as such should be easily accessible. This BLOG is another effort to reach out to the residents of Mount Rainier.