By Merlin D’souza – City of Saguaro
Day 2 really held a lot in store. I was happy to meet my fellow Saguaro Citizens. It was fun to interact with the other citizens in my city even if we couldn’t talk in person. The difference between how it usually is and what it is now is major but seeing the commitment of the staff who are going above and beyond on their own time to replicate the experience makes up for it all. I am so grateful that they have made Arizona Girls State possible!
We discussed our ideas of what we wanted our ordinances and resolutions to be, including a hilarious one about punishing those who put a sombrero on a donkey. My city of Saguaro also decided on a population of 10,000 as we saw it as a good middle ground with not too little or too many people.
I can’t believe the amount of money that a city spends daily and my eyes have been opened to what a city is responsible for. All the different investments that a city has and understanding that the amount they get in return doesn’t cover all of the expenses, was a shock to me. The level of money still owed is significantly high and the city must decide the best way to finance that debt.
Reading through the legal document that is required for each position held at a city level made the word meticulous come to mind. It was interesting to see what our elected officials go through in order to attain their positions. I can’t wait for Day 3! Until tomorrow…