On January 27, 1997, the Muskogee City Council approved the development of the “Muskogee Vision Team” to develop a comprehensive long range community development plan for the city. The project was named “Neighbors Building Neighborhoods,” and was jointly funded by the City of Muskogee, the Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Muskogee Development Corporation. Working with the Oklahoma Community Institute, Neighbors Building Neighborhoods directed more than one hundred community stakeholders through an extensive process of gathering community input, concerns and opinions about the needs and priorities of making Muskogee a better place to live and work. The group developed a set of core values to guide the process and to serve as the driving forces for moving the city forward. Through these core values, the community committed to:

• Community Image – Promoting an environment that creates a positive image and provides a safe, wholesome place to live.
• Diversity – Promoting unity and mutual respect by accepting, celebrating and embracing our diversity as a strength.
• Education – Establishing an excellent education system that provides our citizens with lifelong learning opportunities and, thereby, a higher quality of life.
• Empowerment – Encouraging participation at all levels of community life to empower all citizens to address the issues that impact them.
• Ethics – Encouraging and demonstrating the development of the highest standards of integrity and ethics in all citizens, in all aspects of their lives.
• Family – Cultivating an environment that supports strong family foundations in all types of family units.
• Future – Celebrating our heritage as we embrace the challenges of our future.
• Wellness – Promoting spiritual, physical and emotional wellness.