The authoritative source book of local government data and developments, The Municipal Year Book is back in 2015 as an e-book, filled with articles that can help local government professionals understand the dynamics and conditions that are shaping the next decade.

Here’s a snapshot of the kinds of findings highlighted in The Municipal Year Book 2015. This information comes from thousands of hours of research, expert interpretations of survey data, and innovative ideas and practices from local governments around the world.

Racial disparities 
By and large, police forces are not racially representative of the people they serve. In the top 75 cities with the largest police forces, whites are consistently overrepresented among police relative to the cities’ general population.

Communities for all ages
While service demands for children and elders are obviously higher than those for residents in the economically active age range, 77% of respondents agreed that communities that keep people for their entire lifespan are more vibrant.

The year of reckoning and what lies ahead
2014 witnessed the emergence of the sharing economy—with innovative, yet city-challenging tax and regulatory issues arising from the emergence of global services, such as Uber and Airbnb—at the same time that it witnessed the efforts of some cities to secede.

Social media usage
To the question “If you use social media, has it been successful?” a slim majority (51.2%) responded yes, 6.4% said no, and 42.4% didn’t know.

Let’s work together
The strongest motivations for jurisdictions to join regional councils are economic incentives, including access to services and to service-sharing agreements, and inclusion in the planning process.

Purchase The Municipal Year Book 2015, today!