Community VoicesStatus could boost economic growth, tourism and grants for the city.
Riviera Beach has been recognized as one of 20 finalists for the All-America City award presented annually by the National Civic League.
Vice Chair KaShamba Miller-Anderson said during the April 15 City Council meeting, the Riviera Beach Youth Council applied for the award.
Why it matters: According to the National Civic League, All-America City finalists and winners often experience stronger economic growth.
- They tend to find it easier to attract businesses that create job opportunities and strengthen the tax base.
- Finalists and winners have also seen an increase in tourism and grants.
Catch up quick: The All-America City Award was created in 1949 to provide municipalities with a space to share their efforts to make change and to learn from other cities how to implement these ideas in their community.
What they’re saying: Miller-Anderson said the factors in the application that earned the city its top-20 status were the city’s Reimagining Riviera Beach capital improvement plan, the Riviera Beach Citizens Leadership Academy, and the Community Development Authority’s Neighborhood Reclaim home stabilization program. The Youth Council was also key because “it was about how we are engaging with younger people.”
How it works: As part of the application process, Youth Council members submitted a written response to this year’s theme, America at 250: Strengthening Civic Health and Building Trust.
The city is invited to a three-day meeting and competition. Representatives will share 10-minute live presentations of their stories to a jury of civic engagement experts. The panel will select 10 winning communities, which will be announced during the closing ceremony.
By the numbers: The 20 finalists are across 16 states, representing communities with a population of about 12,000 to 500,000 residents. Riviera Beach is one of two
What’s next: Youth Council members and city representatives plan to attend the All-America City competition in Denver, Colorado, in June.
It will take money to get there.
“We’ll be coming to the council and the residents,” Miller-Anderson said, “the business community as well as our nonprofit organizations to ask you to help us in moving forward with this award.”
Who wrote this story: This story was reported by Community Voices writers Mikala Graham, Abigail Guillaume, Micaja Etienne and Kelvin Verhovlyak.
What is CV: Community Voices is a partnership between Stet News and Inlet Grove High School. Stet News is underwriting the pilot to train and pay students to cover Riviera Beach.
Inlet Grove journalism teacher C.B. Hanif and Stet’s Liz Capozzi contributed to this story.
I am a co-founder, writer and editor for Stet News. I am also a former senior editor at The Palm Beach Post. For 20 years, I oversaw some of the most consequential stories published by the paper, including the “Corruption County” reporting project that led to multiple arrests of elected officials. I am a member of the Leadership Palm Beach County Class of 2013. I live in West Palm Beach with my husband, Bill DiPaolo.
