MIDLAND, Texas — The City of Midland has a total of 26 open positions on various boards and commissions, from the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Airport Planning and Development Board.
"One of the things that's really a priority to our council is to have different opinions, so we’re not looking for applicants who just agree with us on everything," said Midland Mayor Lori Blong. "We want people who have concerns and a diversity of opinions to participate in these boards and commissions. We believe that that’s how we make good decisions is by having different representation."
Those involved help the council receive feedback and know what all is going on with various groups in the Midland community.
"We rely on boards and commissions to give feedback to council to help us make informed decisions about what’s important to the community, and so that’s why we want people to apply from various different perspectives and give us a broad understanding of what’s important to Midlanders for these different boards and commissions," said Blong.
Mayor Blong and councilmembers do ask residents who are interested to be sure they're dedicated and committed.
"We do want people who are going to be committed to attend," said Blong. "We’ve had problems in the past of being able to reach a quorum of people for each of those meetings, and we have to have a quorum for each of those meetings to be productive, so we want people who will commit their time or energy and effort to do a good job to serve the community."
Applications are due by Aug. 11, 2023. Once applications are received, council will review and then make their appointments by September. The majority of terms will begin Oct. 1, 2023.
"There are not qualifications for most of these," said Blong. "As we’re reviewing applications, of course we want the most qualified and the most dedicated people we can find, but we’re not seeking something that is elite. We want people who are reflective of the community, who are residents in all parts of the community, who reflect the people who live here."
For a full list of boards and commissions openings and applications, click or tap here.