Although city and county elected officials frequently hear from their constituents, officials and citizens often do not fully understand how public participation occurs and how it informs decision making by municipal and county boards. This book, part of the Local Government Board Builders series, offers ideas for engaging the public, assesses the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of participation mechanisms, and provides guidance for better public outreach. It also discusses ways of developing long-term community participation. See the Local Government Board Builders Series webpage for other books in the series and related School of Government publications (https://www.sog.unc.edu/resource-series/local-government-board-builders-series-0).