Celebrate local government on City Hall Selfie Day

Taking part in last year’s City Hall Selfie Day were, front row left to right: Assistant to the Town Manager Stephen Addonizio, Finance Director Susan Kelley, Former Sustainability Coordinator Julie Gagen and Benefits Coordinator Hillary Buck. Second Row: Town Manager Leon Gaumond, Land Use Administrative Assistant Laurie Landess, Assistant Town Accountant Brenda Bourgeois, Assistant Town Clerk Sharon Simon. Top row: Conservation Administrator Jordan McCarron, Maintenance/Custodian Dan Kelly, Town Planner Imaikalani Aiu, Assistant Town Planner Justine Cook. (Courtesy photo/*Stephen Addonizio)*

Grab your phone, head over to a Weston town building and say cheese. Aug. 11 is City Hall Selfie Day!

City Hall Selfie Day was created in 2016 by Engaging Local Government Leaders, (ELGL) a professional organization dedicated to supporting those working in and with local government institutions. It is meant to be a light-hearted, community-driven celebration of public service. Weston residents are encouraged to head over to any municipal building – town hall, fire stations, libraries – and take a selfie. The goal, ultimately, is to make local government more approachable and visible.

This is the third year that Weston is participating, but, according to Stephen Addonizio, assistant to the town manager, it is the first time officials are reaching out to residents to invite them to join in.

“This year we want people to join in with us, as opposed to last year when town staff did it,” Addonizio said. “If you look back at our Instagram from last year, you’ll see I was in 80 different locations taking pictures of myself. So this year, we’re trying to get the public to join in with us.”

Last year, Addonizio said, the Weston Public Library created cut outs for town workers to pose with for their photos, and the Arts and Innovation Center made props with arrows reading “best coworker.”

“So, it was just a fun way to show the face of municipal government,” he said.

In addition to having fun with local photos, Addonizio said Selfie Day recognizes that local government is where most government happens for the average person.

“Most of the decisions that happen in your daily life come from the local level, and it is a way for people to see the local level at work,” he said. “Everyone sees the president and vice president and senators, they are very public people and their images are everywhere. This is a way to say, ‘Hey there are actually people in this building every day who are making your town work or your city work for you.’ This is a way to recognize the work they do.”

To take part, take a photo of yourself, your team or other residents and community members in front of any Weston government building. That would include Town Hall, the Library, the Community Center, the Police Station or Public Works, for example. Then post your photo on social media using the hashtag #CityHallSelfie. Tag ELGL on your post using @ELGLNetwork on Facebook, @ELGL50 on Instagram, @ELGL on LinkedIn, @ELGL50 on Threads, @localgov on TikTok and @ELGL50 on X.