Nearly every local government entity has been affected by the realities of a tougher economy. Revenues are down or stagnant, while equipment, maintenance and fuel costs continue to skyrocket. Procurement officers and purchasing agents at every level have been forced … Continue reading →
Introducing a casino to a community can elicit conflicting concerns and aspirations. Will it bring an increase in crime, or be a boon to the local economy? How can city officials best preempt the first and encourage the second? When … Continue reading →
This February found some of the nation’s top middle school students in Washington, D.C., competing at the annual DiscoverE Initiative, the Future City Competition. DiscoverE, a self-described “consortium of professional and technical societies and major U.S. corporations,” chose “Tomorrow’s Transit: … Continue reading →
By TROY KIDDER | Kidder and Co. Inc. One definition of a municipality is “a center for the exchanging of goods and services.” In other words, it’s people and money. Chances are you’re already doing a great job serving the … Continue reading →
Last year 24/7 Wall Street evaluated the nation’s largest cities in terms of how they’re run. The site’s researchers took into consideration the local economy, crime, job market and gave weight to the general welfare of the population as they … Continue reading →
Municipal leadership in all but the smallest cities is more than a full-time job. It’s a hands-on, calls-during-dinner, working vacation kind of commitment. Stepping away from that responsibility, especially for seven months, isn’t usually an option. But occasionally there’s no … Continue reading →
By TROY KIDDER | Kidder and Co. Inc. If there wasn’t enough to do already as a municipal manager, the list just got longer. There is one issue quickly jumping to the top: improving communications and public relations with the … Continue reading →
There’s no denying the appeal of Common-Interest Developments. Local government reaps the benefit of an increased tax base without added responsibility for infrastructure and services: something particularly welcome in newly developed sections of rural areas, where government is small. CIDs … Continue reading →
Commitment to equal opportunity — a society where every child has the same chance for success regardless of his or her background — is among the most deeply held convictions shared by Americans of all political persuasions. Yet nowhere is … Continue reading →
Nothing brings the South to a standstill like snow and ice. This winter, multiple, merciless rounds of both took Georgia, the Carolinas and their neighbors from a scene out of “Sweet Home Alabama” to something more akin to “The Day … Continue reading →
Valleywood Golf Course Clubhouse in Apple Valley, Minn., is not only energy efficient and aesthetically appealing: It has one more bonus. The city-owned facility has increased revenue for the municipality. The clubhouse is one of several buildings and services that … Continue reading →
