City of Breckenridge to host second annual Citizens Academy, starting in January
By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan
In January 2025, I joined about 20 other Breckenridge community members for the City of Breckenridge’s inaugural Citizens Academy, a nine-month program designed to provide residents with an in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at how the local government works. The City’s 2026 Citizens Academy will start next month, and registration for the program is open.
Billy Smith, center, water distribution/collections foreman for the City of Breckenridge, and other Public Works employees were on hand at the City facilities on North Dubois to provide information about the work that takes place in the shops located there. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
From January through September, we met monthly, sometimes for classroom-style information sessions and others times for “field trip” type excursions to places like the Breckenridge Fire Department and the Municipal Court. We visited the Animal Control facility, the Public Works Department’s shops, the police station and the city park.
Additionally, the Citizens Academy participants learned about the City’s relationship and interactions with other local entities, such as the County government, Stephens Memorial Hospital, Sacred Cross EMS, Breckenridge Independent School District, the Chamber of Commerce, the Economic Development Corp. and others.
Throughout the program, course members were invited to ask questions about the topics we were learning about, and at the final class, everyone had the opportunity to provide feedback on the program.
Even for someone who attends most of the City meetings and gets a look behind-the-scenes on a regular basis, I learned quite a bit from the program. If you have a couple of hours a month to spare and are interested in how city government works, I’d suggest signing up for the 2026 academy.
The new class will begin at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 12. Most classes are about an hour and a half long, sometimes a little longer. The program is free to join but spaces are limited.
Currently, the schedule for the upcoming Citizens Academy is:
- Jan. 12 Administration/Finance
- Feb. 9 City Secretary/Municipal Court
- March 9 Public Works
- April 13 Police/ACO
- May 11 Fire/Public Services
- June 8 Developmental Services/BEDC/BDD
- July 14 Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce/BISD
- Aug. 10 Stephens County/Stephens Memorial Hospital/Sacred Cross (EMS)
- Sept. 14 Partnerships and collaborations
Graduation is scheduled for the October City Commission meeting.
To register, fill in the application form and submit it online; print a PDF version of the application and return it via email to Lacy Botts at lbotts@breckenridgetx.gov or via U.S. mail; or pick up a printed applications at City Hall, located at 105 N. Rose Ave. in downtown Breckenridge.
For more information, call the City of Breckenridge at 254-559-8287.
Breckenridge City Manager Cynthia Northrop, left, leads one of the Citizens Academy sessions. The program includes a combination of classroom-style presentations and on-site visits to various City departments. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Stacy Harrison, center, who was the City of Breckenridge’s Public Services director at the time, talks to the Citizens Academy participants about the City Park and the jobs the Public Services employees do. Harrison retired from the position in June. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Cutline, top photo: One of the on-site visits the Citizens Academy took during the 2025 program was to the Breckenridge Fire Department, where Assistant Fire Chief Wesley Turner and other firefighters talked to the attendees. The group also visited the police department, animal shelter, municipal court and other locations. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
