BRUSH UP ON YOUR CIVICS KNOWLEDGE

Did you know that the Town of Surfside is a Commission-Manager form of government? In Surfside, the Town Commission, made up of five elected officials (mayor, vice mayor and three commissioners), appoints a Town Manager to carry out policy and run the day-to-day administrative operations and public services of the Town. 

The Town Commissioners represent the community, focusing on policy issues that impact our residents. Among the many other duties of the Town Commission, the group is responsible for setting the annual budget and the tax rate. 

Get to know your commissioners by reading their biographies. 

Many cities and towns across the country also round under the "commission-manager" or "council-manager" form of government. There are many resources that offer simple, kid-friendly civics lessons to help encourage civics education for students of all ages. Check out the resources below to learn more.

Civics Education Resources

Readers2Leaders from the Florida League of Cities - Activities for all ages, including lesson plans for third grade through twelfth 

iCivics - Free resources for school-age students

Center for Civic Education - Teaching resources for civics educators

Florida Joint Center for Citizenship - Lessons on government-citizen interactions