It’s time to announce the winners of the coveted 2017 #CityHallSelfie awards!
And, here’s a map of all of the #CityHallSelfie tweets received in the 24 hour #CityHallSelfie day period – you can see from the sheer volume of submissions, that these 23 winners are in a league of their own.
Don’t forget – if you liked #CityHallSelfie day – you’ll love ELGL membership. Sign up today for exclusive access to local government job resources, unlimited job postings (for our All-In members), priority registration at our conferences and webinars, and a community of local gov friends who love local government as much as you do. Membership is $15/students, $30/individuals, and $300 for All-In (organization) members.
Best #CityHallSelfie From the City with the Largest Population
Challenge accepted and complete. #CityHallSelfie #womeninwaste #lacitysan #losangeles #localgov #publicworks #weloveourjobs @CityHallSelfie pic.twitter.com/SSb9CdfAV2
— LA Sanitation & Environment (@LACitySAN) August 15, 2017
Why they won: population-based awards are pretty straight forward, but we couldn’t help but be impressed with the truck, the smile, the focus, the hashtags… so this #CityHallSelfie was a clear winner from the second-largest city in America!
Best #CityHallSelfie From the City with the Smallest Population
Cedar Point, KS (pop. 28) – home of my parents’ bank when I was growing up #CityHallSelfie @klinnens pic.twitter.com/ieutcJm7c5
— Phil Smith-Hanes (@ElCoPSH) August 15, 2017
Why he won: again, it’s a population based award, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that PSH is one of ELGL’s favorite friends. He’s one of the most connected people in local government. He never shies away from the chance to make a new friend or connection. And, he’s done some great writing for ELGL on his experience as an openly gay local government manager, and how to maximize experiences at large local gov conferences. Bravo, Phil!
#CityHallSelfie With the Most Famous Person
How about a #CityHallSelfie with the whole #SVU fam? pic.twitter.com/PWIrlwsZlj
— Law & Order: Summer Viewing Unit (@nbcsvu) August 15, 2017
Why they won: it’s the entire cast and crew of Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit. ‘Nuff said.
Best #CityHallSelfie by a Citizen
Town of Clarkdale staff and community members! #CityHallSelfie #CityHallSelfieDay pic.twitter.com/QQECM3vDS6
— Allyn Nicole (@allynnnicole) August 16, 2017
Why they won: we’re not sure who’s a citizen and who’s a city employee, but regardless… the fact that there are citizens who love their city so much they’re willing to lie on the ground and spell out the city name with their bodies… this is such a testament to what #CityHallSelfie day is and the pride we hope it instills in a community.
Best #CityHallSelfie by a Newspaper/TV Reporter
A #localgov reporter’s #CityHallSelfie in @CityofMadison @ELGLSconnie @ELGL50 @MidwestELGL #CityHallSelfieDay pic.twitter.com/yK6OqoNkvE
— Abby Becker (@abecker_4) August 15, 2017
Why she won: Abby accurately tagged @ELGLSconnie, the go-to account for all things local gov in Wisconsin. Plus, she seems genuinely pleased to be in the #CityHallSelfie, which is always an indicator of a great local government journalist who wants to be at city hall, sharing information about the awesomeness of local services.
Best #CityHallSelfie Day Wrap Up Video
That’s a wrap! Hope you had a fun day, and enjoy our #CityHallSelfie & #BCSelfie compilation! @ELGL50 https://t.co/pBEauxHJaZ
— City of Battle Creek (@BattleCreekCity) August 16, 2017
Why they won: the city of Battle Creek shared a lot of great #CityHallSelfies on August 15, 2017, and then they quickly turned around and shared the story of their exciting day in a wrap up video. It was the perfect end to a great day celebrating the city of Battle Creek.
Best #CityHallSelfie Lighting
Our @rltcc team is serious about fun! And #CityHallSelfie Day. Well played. ??? pic.twitter.com/1uVUd9VZ3E
— City of Sarasota (@CityofSarasota) August 16, 2017
Why they won: where do we start with the city of Sarasota? Throughout the day, they were sharing fun and exciting #CityHallSelfies to showcase their pride in their community. But what really set this tweet apart (aside from the lighting) were the costumes and the posing. These three put the “neat!” in “dedication!”
Best #CityHallSelfie Photography
Floor 26 Council Chambers. “Ok everyone look like serious legislators” #CityHallSelfie #0to29RealQuick pic.twitter.com/8xR8lxoZyR
— Sarah Marie Martin (@SarahKCMO) August 15, 2017
Why she won: it’s not as much as the quality of the photography (although it’s very good) but the execution of a clearly defined plan. When Sarah Martin-Anderson started her day with the hashtag #0to29RealQuick, we weren’t sure if she was referencing a Drake song? A trending public health topic? We quickly learned that she was planning a day of #CityHallSelfie stops on every floor of the iconic KCMO city hall. In total, she visited 30 floors and took 42 selfies. As Drake would say, “sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.”
Best Bearded #CityHallSelfie
@BangtheTable through the beard #cityhallselfie at stop #7 in Hillsboro, OR. @ELGL50 @CityHallSelfie pic.twitter.com/Eb1Djo9Y6C
— Tony Reed (@treed1134) August 15, 2017
Why he won: this was one of 14 stops that Tony Reed and his Mt. Angel team made around small towns in Oregon. While his beard was prominent in each #CityHallSelfie, he wins for taking this #CityHallSelfie through his beard.
Best Dressed #CityHallSelfie
Budget team taking a #CityHallSelfie en-route to a budget hearing. Share your budget priorities with the team, here: https://t.co/sdfO7DFpAM pic.twitter.com/MGIU3owoDJ
— City of Long Beach (@LongBeachCity) August 15, 2017
Why they won: our local gov nerd is showing… the best accessory for any outfit is a budget book. Plus, we love their call for input and feedback – participatory budgeting is also a great look.
Best Hat in a #CityHallSelfie
Thank you, Thank you! Not only do #GaCities officials take pretty great #selfies, they are even better leaders in their communities. https://t.co/ebzJovxfDk
— Georgia Cities (@gacities) August 17, 2017
Why she won: this was just one of nine #CityHallSelfies that Ember posted wearing a cute hat.
Best Promotion of #CityHallSelfie by a Government Entity
Thank you, Thank you! Not only do #GaCities officials take pretty great #selfies, they are even better leaders in their communities. https://t.co/ebzJovxfDk
— Georgia Cities (@gacities) August 17, 2017
Why they won: Thanks to the Georgia Municipal Association’s stellar advance work, 132 Georgia cities were represented and/or participated in #CityHallSelfie day. To spread the word, GMA used social media, email campaigns and in-person visits to cities across the state. Emails included detailed instructions for cities to share on their official social media channels or send to GMA to share on their account.
Best Promotion of #CityHallSelfie by a Non-Government Entity
Don’t have a game plan for #cityhallselfie day? Check out our guide if you need some direction: https://t.co/8jIfYjsx2z @ELGL50 #localgov pic.twitter.com/7CGLQ77bPc
— CitySourced (@CitySourced) August 8, 2017
Why they won: in addition to a lot of great tweets and grams leading up to #CityHallSelfie day, CitySourced also published a great guide about taking the perfect #CityHallSelfie.
Best Use of #CityHallSelfie Props
“Mr. Fuzzy Britches” & his accomplices crashing the council chambers after dark for the best #CityHallSelfie of the DAY! @OCPDMDInfo @ELGL50 pic.twitter.com/7uKDV8RfwZ
— Town of Ocean City (@TownofOceanCity) August 15, 2017
Why they won: one of the #CityHallSelfie media team members said they “almost choked on their coffee” when they saw this epic #CityHallSelfie post. You have to appreciate a city that loves their manager this much!
Funniest #CityHallSelfie
“Mr. Fuzzy Britches” & his accomplices crashing the council chambers after dark for the best #CityHallSelfie of the DAY! @OCPDMDInfo @ELGL50 pic.twitter.com/7uKDV8RfwZ
— Town of Ocean City (@TownofOceanCity) August 15, 2017
Why they won: three words – Mr. Fuzzy Britches. Also, the looks on the police officers’ faces makes this picture the funniest #CityHallSelfie of the day. Well done, Ocean City.
Most Historic #CityHallSelfie
#50 The last for tonight, but never the least! #JustifiablyProud since 1857 Our City of #STL @STLFireDept #CityHallSelfie #InService #FTW pic.twitter.com/cGQtee6B9f
— Sarah Gamblin-Luig (@SirenLadySTL) August 16, 2017
Why she won: we saw a lot of beautiful, historic city halls on #CityHallSelfie day but Becky wins the award for her selfie in front of this Italian site with an estimated construction date of 7 B.C.
Most People in the #CityHallSelfie
#50 The last for tonight, but never the least! #JustifiablyProud since 1857 Our City of #STL @STLFireDept #CityHallSelfie #InService #FTW pic.twitter.com/cGQtee6B9f
— Sarah Gamblin-Luig (@SirenLadySTL) August 16, 2017
Why they won: we loved this #CityHallSelfie because it showcased a beautiful city park, and included so many smiling and happy community members. #CityHallSelfie day is all about showing community pride and you can feel that pride oozing out of this photo.
Most Selfies Taken by One Person on #CityHallSelfie Day
#50 The last for tonight, but never the least! #JustifiablyProud since 1857 Our City of #STL @STLFireDept #CityHallSelfie #InService #FTW pic.twitter.com/cGQtee6B9f
— Sarah Gamblin-Luig (@SirenLadySTL) August 16, 2017
Why she won: where do we begin? Sarah blew the previous #CityHallSelfie day record of 13 out of the water. She added #BigLocalGovBaller to her Twitter caption and we couldn’t agree more. 50 #CityHallSelfies in one day showcased the St. Louis region and the government entities, big and small, in that part of the country.
State with the Most #CityHallSelfies
Hey, hey! It’s our quasquicentennial (125th) birthday and @ELGL50‘s #CityHallSelfie Day. ? #Issaquah125 #LegendaryIssaquah #SasquatchSelfie pic.twitter.com/RFwD54P2yv
— City of Issaquah (@cityofissaquah) August 15, 2017
Why they won: at last count, we mapped 208 #CityHallSelfies in Maryland! This is due, in large part, to a wonderfully coordinated effort by the Maryland Municipal League. The League shared information about #CityHallSelfie day with their member cities, and continued to share #CityHallSelfies throughout the big day.
Most Creative #CityHallSelfie
Hey, hey! It’s our quasquicentennial (125th) birthday and @ELGL50‘s #CityHallSelfie Day. ? #Issaquah125 #LegendaryIssaquah #SasquatchSelfie pic.twitter.com/RFwD54P2yv
— City of Issaquah (@cityofissaquah) August 15, 2017
Hey, hey! It’s our quasquicentennial (125th) birthday and @ELGL50‘s #CityHallSelfie Day. ? #Issaquah125 #LegendaryIssaquah #SasquatchSelfie pic.twitter.com/RFwD54P2yv
— City of Issaquah (@cityofissaquah) August 15, 2017
Why they won: we had to give away two awards in this category, because we were so impressed with Chapel Hill’s ASL #CityHallSelfie, and Milford’s Parks & Rec showcase. Congrats to both cities for putting so much creativity into the big day – both #CityHallSelfies reflect beautifully on your communities!
Best #CityHallSelfie of the Day
Hey, hey! It’s our quasquicentennial (125th) birthday and @ELGL50‘s #CityHallSelfie Day. ? #Issaquah125 #LegendaryIssaquah #SasquatchSelfie pic.twitter.com/RFwD54P2yv
— City of Issaquah (@cityofissaquah) August 15, 2017
Why they won: this #CityHallSelfie has it all: community pride, recognition of a major community event, a mythical forest creature. Congrats to the City of Issaquah for taking the best #CityHallSelfie of the day!