Salisbury elected leaders and city staff showed up in force Tuesday evening for a city-organized Community Conversation, held at Outreach Christian Ministries. With strong turnout from the public, about 80 people in all filled the West Horah Street church’s sanctuary.

The meeting was a good first step.

If future sessions draw the same level of participation — or more — city government could make real progress toward building a better relationship between city hall and the citizens it serves. Meanwhile, residents can do their part by showing an earnest desire to know more about their city and the services it offers.

Just a little more than a month has passed since new and returning members of City Council elected Karen Alexander as mayor, and they have moved quickly to reach out to the community.

This effort goes beyond damage control; it’s a rebuilding of broken relationships. The city slashed its budget a few years ago to bring its finances back from the brink following Fibrant’s unspectacular launch. Many of the people fired were citizens who linked the city to the community. That hurt. There was also discord over the way police responded to the needs of African American neighborhoods.

Stagnant wages and political gridlock in Washington have soured a lot of people these days. So imagine having little to no wages and feeling as though you’re invisible to those with political power. The message from city officials to citizens Tuesday night was clear — we see you, we hear you, and we care about your neighborhoods. Help us do a better job.

Listening is not enough. Some people will withhold judgment until they see action, and that can’t come until the city holds more meetings. Every journey begins with a single step. The city has stepped up. We look forward to seeing what comes next.