How do you reverse a two-decade trend of population decline and job losses? In 2006, the city of Centralia determined to do just that.

Local infrastructure is vital to a community's quality of life, but roads and utilities break down after years of use and eventually need to be replaced. How do local governments plan and pay for these upgrades?

Capital improvement projects are often the visible manifestations of what makes us proud to call our communities home, but where does a community get the money for them? Many times, a local government will come up with the funding through careful budgeting, tax increases, or bond measures. Other times, money will come from outside sources through a grant or public-private partnerships.

The city of Decatur has emerged as a national leader in promoting active living as an essential building block of a sustainable community. After more than a quarter century of policy making and of programs designed to strengthen community connections and revitalize its downtown, the city has become a place where people enjoy getting around on foot, whether they are going to work, shopping, or attending a special event in the town square.

The historic areas that were once the hub of activity in New Smyrna Beach began to suffer when businesses moved to other parts of the community. Storefronts were vacated and properties fell into disrepair. A collaborative marketing process between local partners gave rise to revitalization of this historical district.

Cutler Bay is all too familiar with natural disasters. When Hurricane Andrew raged through South Florida in 1992, much of the city was swept away by the tidal surge. The town is now better prepared. That's because the town manager and public works director recognized the need for emergency response vehicles that could make it through the floods to carry supplies to residents in need.

The situation could not have been much worse. When John Stunson was appointed city manager of Oakland Park, FL in 2001 the city was near bankruptcy. A seasoned professional, Stunson stepped up and began by injecting transparency and a sense of collaboration into the process, that lead the city to make a comeback.

In 2007, St. Lucie County, FL, had one of the highest home foreclosure rates in the country. The county was financially sound so, rather than wait for federal stimulus money to trickle down, county commissioners decided to stimulate the local economy by earmarking funds for \"shovel-ready” capital projects.

A professional local government manager supports the vision and policy goals of elected officials. If the city council feels that the manager or the city staff is not working in tandem with them, tension develops within city hall, plans get derailed, and the whole community suffers. A city manager can fix these problems and lead to a effective city.