In the Town of Cary, how we approach our work is as important as the work itself, and there are three primary statements that guide Town staff in our approach: the Town of Cary Mission Statement, Statement of Values, and our Citizen Service Commitment.

Mission Statement
At the Town of Cary we focus every day on enriching the lives of our citizens by creating an exceptional environment and providing exemplary services that enable our community to thrive and prosper.

Statement of Values
To achieve our mission we will uphold the following values:

1. Our organization exists to serve our citizens. We will be open, ensure access, encourage involvement and be accountable to our citizens.

2. Employees are our most important resource. We will attract and retain the best employees and invest in their personal and professional growth.

3. We will be honest, ethical and diligent. Our actions will comply with local, state and federal laws.

4. We will treat everyone with dignity, respect and fairness.

5. We will achieve the best results through effective teamwork, strategic partnerships and community participation.

6. We will provide outstanding customer service that is polite, friendly and responsive.

7. We value creative thinking and innovation. We will continue to be nationally recognized for excellence in local government.

8. We value growth that balances desired service levels, economic benefits and continued stability for our community.

9. We are cost conscious. We spend public funds responsibly and effectively to ensure the Town’s short and long term financial strength.

10. We are committed to proactive, comprehensive planning to guide the future of our community.

11. We will preserve and protect our environment. We will be good stewards of our finite natural resources.

Adopted by Town Council, 2006

Citizen Service Commitment
With service as our only product, the Town of Cary is dedicated to providing the highest achievable level of customer satisfaction by providing citizen services in the most effective manner possible. We will accomplish this through polite, friendly, and courteous interactions with citizens and by making a personal commitment to resolving citizen problems quickly and thoroughly. We strive to give immediate attention to citizen needs and to provide citizens with complete and accurate information in a timely manner. Our goal is to be recognized throughout the Eastern United States for providing the highest quality customer service to all citizens.

Citizen Involvement
An involved citizenry is the hallmark of a strong community and an effective government. Indeed, it was a citizen’s movement that in 1871 resulted in the formation of the Town of Cary. Today, opportunities abound for Cary citizens to continue taking part in shaping their government and, therefore, their own futures.

Attend Meetings: Meetings of the Town Council as well as those of its appointed boards and commissions are open to the public. Notices of meeting times and locations are posted days in advance at Town Hall, on the Town’s Web site, www.townofcary.org, and on Cary TV 11, the Town’s government access cable television channel. Regular Town Council meetings include “Public Speaks Out,” a time designated specifically for public comment. In addition, many council meetings include public hearings during which citizens may speak about the subject of that particular hearing.

For many special projects, the Town reaches out to citizens with neighborhood meetings held to answer questions and receive input from residents in the area directly and potentially impacted by the project. Topics vary from widening an existing road to adding sidewalks to proposed construction projects of Town facilities. These invaluable input sessions lead to projects’ being designed in ways that best meet the needs of those most closely associated with their long-term impacts. Just like regular council meetings, upcoming input sessions are advertised on Cary TV, www.townofcary.org, and in The Cary News. And for those most affected, check your mail for a letter directly from us.

E-Participation: As citizens of Cary, residents enjoy wide access to their government electronically. With over 96 percent of citizens having access to the Internet at home or at work in 2008, the Town’s #1 communication tool is our award-winning Web site. From Web polls to answers to thousands of frequently asked questions to the latest news to a growing list of online governmental services including program registration and utility payments, www.townofcary.org is where to go to get and give ideas and information concerning the Cary community. Subscribe now to our electronic mailing list service and never miss an important announcement from your Town government.

Information is also available 24/7 on Cary TV 11. Programming includes wink – a live look at rush-hour traffic via more than 20 cameras throughout Cary, the monthly news magazine BUD-TV, and the Town Council’s Cary Matters as well as live meetings of the Cary Town Council, the Wake County Board of Commissioners, and the Wake County Board of Education. Cary TV also carries programming from NASA and Annenberg CPB as well as news magazines from Wake County government and the Wake County Public School System. You’ll find the daily programming guide at www.townofcary.org.

Volunteer to Serve: Citizens may apply to serve on one of several standing council-appointed boards and commissions. See our Web site for a current list. The Town Clerk recruits to fill vacancies each spring with appointments being made by Town Council in September. Most board seats are for three-year terms. In addition to the standing boards, the Town sometimes has a number of special committees and task forces working for a finite time on specific, current issues. Appointments to these special groups are made as needed and advertised through various means, including our Web site. Terms of service for these groups vary.
Telephone: (919) 469-4011

In addition to council boards, the PRCR Department recruits large numbers of volunteers to participate in many areas including coaching sports teams, events, festivals, trail workdays, park cleanup, maintenance or enhancement projects, Eagle Scout projects, docents at Page-Walker Arts and History Center, and helping out with Applause! Cary Youth Theater. Volunteers may serve on the Athletics Committee, Greenways Committee, and Cultural Arts Committee which are advisory bodies to the PRCR Advisory Board.
Telephone: (919) 469-4061

Groups of citizens may volunteer to stencil storm drains in the Town of Cary. Storm drain stenciling is part of an effort to increase public awareness that what goes into storm drains eventually ends up in our rivers, not in a wastewater treatment facility. Cary has more than 13,000 storm drains which empty into either the Neuse or Cape Fear watersheds. Small groups of volunteers attend a brief training session and then, using stenciling kits provided by the Town, spray-paint drains with a “Flows to the Neuse River” or “Flows to the Cape Fear River” message.
Telephone: (919) 469-4030

Help keep Cary clean and forever green through Spruce, our volunteer-based program that connects citizens to beautification, litter reduction and environmental conservation projects in our community. Spruce initiatives include semiannual town-wide litter sweeps, Adopt-a-Spot opportunities, tree and flower plantings, outdoor beautification projects in public places, trail maintenance days, mulching workdays and neighborhood-scale sweeps. The Spruce program is a way for citizens, civic and religious groups, neighborhoods, churches, businesses and schools to work together to have a direct, positive impact on our environment.
Telephone: (919) 469-4090

Many citizens are also interested in the Block Leader Program, a special grassroots communications effort to educate citizens about conservation and the environment. These volunteers are resources for their neighborhoods, providing information and materials to help residents become more conscientious about their water use, solid waste disposal, stormwater runoff, and recycling practices. To become better informed, Block Leaders annually attend a one-hour orientation session and pick up their materials for distribution. Block Leaders do not have any enforcement responsibilities.
Telephone: (919) 469-4090

Volunteer to help your community in an emergency by joining CERT -- Community Emergency Response Team. The Town’s Fire and emergency services train citizens how to take care of themselves first and then help others in the community in the first three days following a natural or manmade disaster. CERT members are taught basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations.
Telephone: (919) 625-9141

And finally, volunteer to help our police by becoming part of Cary’s CAP Team – Citizens Assisting Police. CAP Team members help provide security at public events and assist the Police Department with child safety seat installation, clerical duties, service center staffing, Community Watch programs and other duties. CAP members do not carry guns, and before becoming CAP Team members, a volunteer must successfully complete Cary's Citizens Police Academy and receive training in such responsibilities as report writing.
Telephone: (919) 469-4324