Subject
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Proclamation Declaring May 4-10, 2025, as National Public Service Recognition Week
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Recommendation
Staff recommends Mayor and Council read and approve the proclamation and present it to Deputy City Manager Barack Matite on behalf of all Rockville City Employees.
Discussion
Public Service Recognition Week takes place in the first week of May and will be held from May 4 to 10 this year. It starts on the first Sunday of the month and lasts a week. The purpose of celebrating this week is to admire and honor the people who deliver public service to us and make everyday chores possible for us. From basic transportation services to the roads and pavements we travel on, we make use of many government-sponsored facilities on a daily basis. It is thanks to the efforts of public service employees that we are able to go about our daily lives. So, this week, we acknowledge those employed in the public sector and shine the spotlight on their work. These are the people who serve our nation as federal, state, county, local and tribal government employees.
HISTORY OF PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION WEEK
Public services facilitate the general public’s way of life, giving us access to government services. This profession has existed for at least 4,000 years. Initially, public service was considered joining the military to provide security to your people. As city-states formed and grew into empires, the concept of public service grew. In time, more and more fields of public service opened up - entertainment being one example.
It is therefore evident that the idea of public service has been around since the time of the emperors. The work of early Greek and Latin philosophers, such as Aristotle, is considered to lay the foundation of public service as we know it today. The Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar, considered himself to be a public servant. The concept of public service is held high in every society, and in the U.S., the foundations of public service were laid during the compiling and signing of the Constitution of the United States of America.
Proper departmentalization of public service began in 1871 when President Ulysses Grant formed the first Federal Civil Service. This laid the foundations of the institutions that would deliver services and facilities sponsored by the government. The department of public service has been working since the creation of the U.S. to deliver services to the public. However, until 1985, the delivery of this service was just considered a duty and a moral obligation that public service employees were supposed to fulfill. It was not until 1985 that Public Service Recognition Week was introduced by President Ronald Reagan. This week is set aside to honor the people in the public sector and acknowledge their efforts.
Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council offer a proclamation for National Public Service Recognition Week annually.