All the elements that make Kansas City, Mo., a well-run city — from its new streetcar system to its engaged residents — come together in the new Life, Well Run video produced by the communications staff and submitted by Assistant City Manager/Director of Aviation Pat Klein. City Manager, Troy Schulte, explains in the video that,…

City, County and Town Managers know that an active Parks and Rec Department is central to having a well-run community. The folks at the National Parks and Recreation Association declared the Month of July “National Parks and Recreation Month” and offer a toolkit for communities.  The Association says, “On any given day, someone is being…

For those of us interested in learning about best practices in local government and the city, town and county managers who work with their teams to make communities better, it’s worth checking out Local Gov Life. This is a pilot initiative developed by ICMA. The first six episodes are based on feature stories from Public Management magazine, which…

This survey seeks to understand how local government policies, programs, plans, and other activities support food production, processing, distribution, access, or disposal.

Our recent call for success stories netted a good example of citizen engagement from the Town of Marana, AZ. Town Manager Gilbert Davidson, an ICMA Credentialed Manager and recipient of the John J. DeBolske Professional Excellence award from ACMA (Arizona City Managers’ Association), worked with his staff to come up with a new model. Tony Hunter,…

Most local government managers probably don't have time to monitor real estate; however, the results can have a direct impact on growing a community’s tax base.

Assistant City Manager in Rockville, Maryland Jenny Kimball thought Lynique Murray would make a perfect community hero. As a community school coordinator for he Linkages to Learning Program at Maryvale Elementary School she helps students and their families with a passion that is shows. “The most rewarding part is seeing the smile on the children’s faces,”…