Missouri Municipal League Announces 2025 MML Innovation Award Winners

 JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Municipal League is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 MML Innovation Awards. These awards honor outstanding projects happening in communities across Missouri that enhance the quality of life for Missouri cities.

The projects illustrate the creativity of Missouri’s local officials and municipal employees as they serve their communities and keep Missouri cities vibrant.

Cities across the state also celebrate Missouri Local Government Week this week (May 4-10). It is the perfect time to highlight the MML Innovation Award winners, as these projects demonstrate the dedication of those serving in local government. They also emphasize the valuable partnerships city officials develop with other cities, nonprofit organizations, businesses and citizens.

Awards are based on city population size. This year, MML received 18 submissions from municipalities statewide, demonstrating creativity and ingenuity within local government.

Learn more about Local Government Week at www.mocities.com and find more information regarding the MML Innovation Awards at www.mocities.com/InnovationAwards.

This year’s winners are:

City of Butler (Small City, with population under 5,000)
Mock City Council

Last March the city of Butler and the Butler High School Student Council joined forces and held a Mock City Council meeting. The objective was to teach students involved in high school student government about local city government and build a bridge with the city council and younger citizens in the community. The high school students were given several different scenarios about current topics that the city council is facing. The students were assigned roles from the Mayor, council members, police chief, fire chief, public works, city clerk, and city administrator. They met with the actual people who hold those roles on staff and discussed the situations that they face in the scenarios and what would be the best possible outcomes.

The staff also explained their roles to the students and what they do daily. The council members and staff assumed the roles as citizens that voice concerns about the different situations presented to the students. Students walked through the start to finish of on actual city council agenda with passing resolutions, ordinances and having a public forum time for questions to the mock council.

The second part of this program is a service project with the students. This year’s project was to clean up Butler’s historic square and pocket park. Another major accomplishment from this project was forming a Student Advisory Committee. This committee was formed to hear the voice of our younger population. The committee meets once a month and is comprised of six student leaders. The project is something other cities can truly invest in very easily and an even deeper investment for the future of our young people.

City of Columbia (Metro City, with population more than 30,000)
Home Weatherization Grant Program

City of Ozark (Large City, with population 15,000 -30,000)
Garrison Springs Community Forest

City of Dardenne Prairie (Medium City, with population 5,000 – 15,000)
Inclusive Easter Egg Hunt

About MML
The Missouri Municipal League provides a united voice for municipalities across Missouri. Founded in 1934, MML now serves more than 650 municipalities with training, resources and legislative advocacy for local government success. Learn more at www.mocities.com.