Suwanee Wins a Voice of the People Award for Excellence in Safety

Commitment to resident-centered decision-making earns the City national recognition, presented by ICMA and Polco.

The City of Suwanee has won a 2023 Voice of The People (VOP) Award for Excellence in Safety. The VOP Awards honor local governments that best engage residents and include public opinion in community decisions. These are the first and only nationally recognized awards given to local governments based on resident input. This is the 15th year of the awards, presented by Polco and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

“There are acute challenges disrupting local government today. Collaboration, resident participation, and data-informed decision-making are the only ways to solve these complex issues. These amazing communities are national models for taking on pernicious problems in government. It’s why the VOP awards are so important—these organizations are making the blueprint to better democracy in an era of profound transition," said Nick Mastronardi, CEO of Polco. “We are so excited to honor the hard work of these deserving communities.”

Captain Dwayne Black and Lt. Simon Byun receiving the award.

Many award recipients were nominated after receiving the highest or most improved ratings from residents on The National Community Survey (The NCS). The NCS is a nationwide community livability assessment with the largest database of its kind and nearly a thousand participating municipalities throughout the last 30 years. The database represents perspectives of more than 50 million Americans, and well over 100 jurisdictions conduct the survey in each year. 

Polco, a community engagement and civic analytics technology company, presents the Voice of the People Awards in partnership with ICMA. The full list of winners was released at the 2023 ICMA Annual Conference in Austin, Texas.