Government Technology reported that citizens in Burleson, Texas, now have another way to connect with government. A new Facebook application was developed to make it easier for citizens to report and request services from their local government. The Facebook application is called the Citizen Request Tracker (CRT). Public administrators in Burleson have seen an increase in reports since the release of the application. The City also has an iPhone app to report for citizens to report incidents.
Government Technology quotes Sally Ellertson, the public information officer of Burleson stated,“With our CRT tracking, there is always a response, and always a time frame to get their questions answered,” Ellertson said of citizen requests. “It’s a great way for them to track when they submitted [a request] and what responses they get.
“It’s good for us too, because it shows we contacted the citizen,” she added. “[It’s] two-way communication that keeps us both in check.”
Is your local government using any applications to engage with citizens? Have you seen any increases in reporting incidents? What are some success stories you’ve had?