SALEM — The city now has its own official mobile application, which it announced in a statement on Monday.
The My Salem MA app will help both residents and visitors to the historic area learn more about what is happening and even solve their problems. Through the app, users can register for different programs and events as well as receive notifications of important alerts. Residents can also report concerns and even pay fees through the app.
John Andrews of the Creative Collective said that the app is well laid out and will be valuable for small businesses.
“It’s going to make getting information easier,” he said. “Making anything more transparent is hugely beneficial across the board.”
The application also appears to be valuable for small business owners in the city. Andrews said that the app will help them to access application permits in addition to keeping them informed of what is happening in the city.
By having an official mobile application, Salem has just added another tool to the belts of its residents and visitors.
“The My Salem MA app offers one more tool to help our residents stay engaged and connected with their city,” said Mayor Kimberley Driscoll. “Over the last few years, we have upgraded our website to a mobile-friendly configuration, moved over a million public records online in a searchable database, launched an online service request tool that has successfully resolved over 22,000 problems since 2014 and published social media accounts for the city on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor and LinkedIn.”
Another objective of the app is to help residents be more civically engaged. Individuals will be able to find contact information for various departments and boards within the city governance. Users can even have direct communication with city councilors through the app.
“Salem is committed to providing as much access and transparency as we can for our residents, to ensure that everyone can be civically engaged and informed about what is happening in our community,” Driscoll said. “The launch of the My Salem MA app is one more step forward in that ongoing work.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic, everything about the world has changed. The digital world has never been more important in an age when you were unable to meet in person. Even now that Massachusetts is opening up, having tools like these can be valuable for members of the community, proponents say.
“I think we learned a lot during COVID that people need digital access to stuff,” Andrews said. “Doing business changed and tools like this were necessary.”
This isn’t the first time that Salem has utilized the mobile application space. Visitors to the area as well as locals have been able to use the Destination Salem app, which was specifically geared for consumers, since 2020. The My Salem MA app will still help consumers, but will also be a valuable resource to those who call Salem home.
Residents can download the app on iPhone and Android devices.
