Major forces shaping local governments now and in the years ahead emerged from conversations with local government managers when author Elizabeth Kellar, president and chief executive officer, Center for State and Local Government Excellence, Washington, D.C., interviewed them for the January-February 2011 PM cover story, “5 Mega Issues Drive Local Changes.” Here is what they consider the top five challenges:

•       Long-term economic outlook.

•       Strained relationships with state governments.

•       Demographic changes.

•       Resource challenges.

•       New media and technology.

Readers might expect managers to be daunted by these issues. Instead, they conveyed resolve and a sense of mission about what they can do to help their organizations and their communities adapt to the challenging times that exist.

To find out more about what is shaping local governments, visit the January-February cover story.

Or, to read more articles from the January-February issue, click here.