WESTMINSTER : Students See How City Hall Works

Being the mayor of a city of 78,000 wasn’t as easy as 18-year-old Shannon Wolff thought.

Wolff, a Mater Dei High School senior who was “mayor” for a day as part of an annual program to get high school students involved in city government, was amazed at the amount of effort her real-life counterpart, Charles V. Smith, must put into his job.

“I just thought it was just a title (but) he actually works,” she said. “I think the city officials deserve a lot of credit.”

Tuesday morning, 39 students from Mater Dei, Westminster and La Quinta high schools participated in the daylong exchange, each one shadowing a different police officer, judge or city official. Wolff and others said the experience gave them a true appreciation of city officials and their services that “a lot of people take for granted.”

Councilman Craig Schweisinger and Mayor Smith led four students on a tour of City Hall and the police station. During a stop at his office, Schweisinger said the amount of information that council members must read to prepare for each meeting “boggles my mind,” and hefted a 4-inch-thick preliminary city budget to illustrate his point.

Smith also pointed out that the amount of time he devotes to the job adds up. “It’s supposed to be a part-time job, but it doesn’t seem to work out that way,” he said.

During a morning session with members of the city staff, the students learned how the city’s Redevelopment Agency helps construct new buildings and improve the appearance of old ones to attract more business and increase sales-tax revenue. Later, some students visited parks and shopping center sites under redevelopment by the agency.

Gang- and drug-education coordinator John Rey Adame described the city’s gang-prevention programs and surprised many in the audience when he told of children as young as 8 being involved in Westminster gang activity. He encouraged the students to get a college education and return to work for the city.

“You have to get involved,” Adame said. “You are the leaders of tomorrow.”

The program concluded Tuesday night after the regular City Council meeting attended by council and staff members and student counterparts.

“I know a lot more about how government works now than I did before. I’ll be more aware of what’s going on around me,” said Tyson Chaney, 17. The La Quinta junior, who followed Community Services Director Penny Loomer, also said he plans to eventually run for public office.

Wolff hailed the program, which has run for more than 20 years, as an effective way to teach students about how government works.