The concerns and interests of Howard?s teenagers often go unheard without an easy outlet to express themselves, but a youth commission could boost involvement among the county?s teens.
“It?s so often that youth have an issue but don?t know how to get their voices heard,” said Andrew Gavalek, a Reservoir High School senior and the student school board member.
Gavalek and a group of youth and county officials have been meeting for several months to decide how youth can become
more involved in county government.
The County Council this week approved a measure creating a task force that would study the feasibility of a permanent youth commission. The group will determine what a commission would look like and on what issues it would advise.
“We didn?t want to jump into something without giving it the formalized structure first,” Gavalek said about developing a task force first.
Youth have been particularly visible at meetings and public hearings lately, rallying for a skate park to be built in Centennial Park.
This is one example of an issue a youth commission could take on, Gavalek said.
The task force would include members from each high school, a Howard Community College student younger than 21, and members selected by council members and several county organizations such as the Horizon Foundation. The group will issue a progress report to the council by the end of the year.
Councilman Calvin Ball, D-District 2, said many young people had been telling council members they wanted a stronger voice in local government.
Councilwoman Mary Kay Sigaty, D-District 4, who has been working closely with the youth on this issue, called it “a work in progress” this week.
“This is an opportunity for the county to create a vision for the youth,” she said.
