What do YOU want to know about?

Here at Menotomy Matters, Shane is working to bring transparency to town government - either by finding actual source records (instead of rumors) about town issues, or showing you how to get things done with Arlington town departments.

I’ve got a lot of ideas about what I think should be simpler or easier to find in our town, but what about your ideas? What are you interested in learning about town government, or what seemingly-simple task have you been wanting to do, but can’t figure out how to do it?

Try The Search Bar

The first tip is to go to the town website, and use the search bar at the far top right of the town’s homepage to search for the topic you’re curious about. While the results presented aren’t always as well organized as a good Google search tends to be, you can find a lot of good nuggets of information on the town website:

https://www.arlingtonma.gov/services/advanced-components/search

Use The Request Tool

While it may feel good to ask the Arlington List for help getting something done, if you want town government to respond, it’s usually better to use the formal Request/Answer Center to ask - unless of course the town department you need already has a specific form to fill out.

First, use the “I want to…” menu on the town website:

https://www.arlingtonma.gov/i-want-to

If what you need isn’t there, then try submitting a Request here:

https://www.arlingtonma.gov/services/request-answer-center

Have More Ideas?

If you’ve got other good tips for how to get things done with town government, let me know at shane@menotomymatters.com!