When the City Podcast began more than five years ago, the thinking behind it was relatively simple. First, humanize local governemnt. The podcast created an opportunity for listeners to literally hear the voices and get to know the personalities of the people who spend their days serving the residents of our city, with the hope being that folks would recognize that all these "government bureaucrats" are, in fact, human beings, and that the reasons behind the policies enacted in the City of Spartanburg are human reasons. Second, we wanted to tell the story of Spartanburg at a time when its transformation was just beginning. We wanted to get to know the people behind that transformation and hear why Spartanburg mattered to them.  Those initial episodes show then City Communications Manager Will Rothschild and then local resident Christopher George finding their footing, figuring out how exactly this podcast thing should be done. Over the years that followed, the rapport strengthened, the questions got better, the local resident became a City Staff member, and the podcast equipment got fancy enough to cut out the amateurish background noise...at least a little bit. With Rothschild's departure last year however, the podcast became a one-person show, and while we've done some compelling episodes since, the chemistry between two hosts that can make a simple interview more compelling wasn't there anymore. The essence of what the podcast had been was lacking in some ways. On today's podcast, we're addressing that issue and taking the City News Podcast back to its roots, bringing back the engaged local resident perspective that made the storytelling work in those early days, by introducing our new cohost, Meghan Smith.  Previously appearing as a guest on the podcast, Meghan will allow us to take the podcast in directions we haven't yet explored, bringing to the show her passion for people and their stories, a deep wealth of local knowledge, and the perspective of someone who truly cares about Spartanburg, not just as a place to invest or a place to play, but as a real community, a place to create a home and raise a family. So join all of us at the City in welcoming our new City News Podcast cohost, Meghan Smith!