See a code violation to report to Raymore’s local government? Have a question about trash day in your area? Residents can now send those messages to the city 24/7 with the new TextMyGov feature.

Launched on Tuesday, TextMyGov is a new service being offered by the City of Raymore to address residents’ questions and concerns. Residents can ask a question or report a problem by texting it to 816-892-9737.

TextMyGov makes it easier for residents to reach out to the local government regardless of time of day. See a pothole or grass that is too tall, but city hall is closed? With TextMyGov, simply report the problem via your phone’s text messaging app and the city will see it the next business day.

That is assuming TextMyGov does not answer your questions right away. The service uses smart texting technology to automatically answer common questions.

For example, if someone has a question about bulky trash pickup, the software will recognize the keyword “bulky trash” and autoreply with the following: “Residents can set out one bulky trash item on the first trash day of every month. To learn what items qualify, visit www.raymore.com/trash.”

Want to report a city code violation, pothole, or traffic light issue? TextMyGov will recognize keywords and request certain information from the sender. That information is relayed to the appropriate city department. Some reports may even prompt TextMyGov to request a photo from the sender.

Additionally, residents can opt in to have notifications of upcoming city events sent straight to their text message inbox.

“Texting is a fast and easy way to communicate and I’m excited that our residents will have the option to send a quick text to report a concern or get an answer to a question,” Raymore Communications Director Melissa Harmer told The Raymore Journal. “This program also gives anyone the choice to opt-in to text notifications for information on anything from trash delays due to a holiday or an upcoming free concert. I’m looking forward to seeing how our residents engage with TextMyGov.”

With the service using text messages, no additional download is needed, easing concerns of storage space and privacy.

TextMyGov supplements existing communication methods with the local government. Residents can still reach out to city hall in person, by calling, or sending an email.