Most people visit a city website to do one thing: pay a bill, find a meeting, report a problem, check if City Hall is open. Plain language gets them there faster, cuts phone calls, and helps the many readers with lower literacy, cognitive disabilities or limited English.
The federal government has worked on this for years; plainlanguage.gov collects the guidelines. Here are the habits that matter most on a city site.
1. Lead with the task
Put what the reader came to do at the top.
Before: The City of Fulton Utilities Department is committed to providing reliable service to residents, and offers several convenient options for remitting payment.
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After: Pay your water bill online, by phone, or at City Hall.
2. Use “you” and “we”
“Residents are required to submit” becomes “You need to send us.” It’s shorter, warmer and clearer about who does what.
3. Short sentences, common words
Aim for one idea per sentence. Swap formal words for everyday ones: use for utilize, help for facilitate, start for commence, about for regarding. Many agencies aim for an eighth-grade reading level or lower on public pages.
4. Headings that answer questions
Readers scan headings. Write them as the questions people ask: “How much does a permit cost?” beats “Fee Schedule Information.”
5. Lists and tables for steps and numbers
If a paragraph lists three requirements, make it a list. If it compares prices or dates, make it a table — with a header row, so screen readers can read it correctly.
6. Say what happens next
After a form or an application, tell people what to expect: “We’ll email you within two business days. If you don’t hear from us, call (662) 862-4929.”
7. Links that make sense on their own
Screen reader users often move from link to link. “Click here” and “Read more” say nothing out of context. Write “Download the 2027 water rate schedule (PDF, 2 pages)” instead. This is also part of WCAG 2.1 (Understanding Link Purpose).
Make it a habit, not a project
Plain language is easier to keep than to retrofit. Sentra CMS shows the reading level of every page as you edit, warns about vague link text, and can suggest a plain-language rewrite with AI that you review before publishing.