Recent trends in finance and economics, including the recession, have changed the extent to which non-federal public entities can expect single-source project funding. Local leaders have had to make hard decisions about how to prioritize their communities’ needs. Having to … Continue reading →
Don’t you wish there was a guaranteed strategy for keeping your city free from one of the most scandalous headlines of the day? What if you could, just by doing X, using training program Y or making elected officials and … Continue reading →
Every once in a while, when I have free moment, I review periodicals from other countries. I follow a few of them on Twitter as well. Recently, I read several reports of how the western coast of Mexico was dealing … Continue reading →
Legislators took a nice, long vacation over the summer. Haven’t you always wished you could do that? Imagine leaving behind all of the consequential decision-making and headache-provoking conversations for a three-month change of pace. Pretend for a minute that you … Continue reading →
In each issue of The Municipal, our staff strives to present a sampling of issues, projects and personalities from various spokes of the municipal management wheel. We think that consistent diversity is important, because every department we cover depends on … Continue reading →
Really, who would the editor of any magazine be to impart words of wisdom or new budgeting advice on local government managers? Day in and day out, you’re the ones making difficult financial decisions, juggling crucial services and desired programs … Continue reading →
Four particular challenges of city and town management receive attention in this issue of The Municipal: handling disasters, managing citizen reports, effective succession planning and fostering leadership among key civic organizations. A fifth local government management issue caught my eye … Continue reading →
Most members of the public feel safe when the big red fire engine or the boys in blue show up at the scene of a crisis. We know that’s why firefighters, law enforcement officers and other public safety officials do … Continue reading →
Utilization. Justification. Everywhere you look, someone from higher up the food chain wants you to do more with less money and less equipment. Fleet managers are looking more closely than they have in a generation at whether they’re achieving maximum … Continue reading →
The theme of this month’s issue of The Municipal could be a little nebulous. Energy topics encompass an inἀnite number of forms and methods of delivery. The commercial ones are buzzed about incessantly. Today’s energy catchwords are “wind,” “solar,” “renewable … Continue reading →
Making a New Year’s resolution or two might not be a bad idea for the managers of municipal systems, especially since we’ve all been stretching those diminishing budget dollars to—and beyond—the breaking point. In this month’s issue, we take a … Continue reading →
