On Monday, August 19th, the National League of Cities held a panel with three local elected officials to talk about the value and experience they each gained through holding a position within NLC. What follows is a transcript of their thoughtful testimony. Learn more about the NLC Leadership Applications! Clarence Anthony, CEO and Executive Director,
Whenever I talk about organizational plans, I ask the audience to quote, verbatim (and without looking at their city’s website or their business card) their city’s vision statement, or mission, or set of core values. This evokes bemused laughter. I’ll often get partial answers: “There’s something about service.” “Quality . . . I think.” “Umm
Big cities and big data tend to get most of the attention in publications and on industry panels. Rapid urbanization and the explosion of data are headlining trends. In reality, however, the United States is a nation of small towns. According to Census Bureau information, the median American lives in a city with a population
As a municipal leader, you may be familiar with the programs available at local recreation centers, a YMCA, or Boys & Girls club, but you may not know if the most vulnerable children and youth in your city have a safe place to go after school. The Wallace Foundation report, Governance Structures for City Afterschool
Don’t sleep on Naptown. Indianapolis was once known for its quiet evenings and small-town aura in a big city, hence the city’s nickname—Naptown. While it was once considered an insult, today the nickname “Naptown” has reclaimed some of it’s original flare (the name originated from the 1920’s jazz “Naptown sound”), as the city has transformed from what
Mayors in towns large and small recognize the power of collaboration — the strength in numbers. In my last blog post, we discussed the Greenest Region Compact (GRC), which featured 115 municipalities and 10 councils of government in Northeast Illinois as signatories at last count. It is the largest regional collaboration on sustainability in the United
When municipal leaders support the early childhood workforce, they ensure the youngest citizens have high-quality early experiences that lead to improved outcomes later in life. In May, the National League of Cities hosted local leaders from 13 cities for an early childhood workforce roundtable. Leaders gathered for the release of a new resource to increase
On July 1 the City of San Francisco effected a ban on facial recognition technology—the first of its kind in the nation. Aimed at leading with transparency, accountability and equity, the ban passed as part of the city’s Stop Secret Surveillance Ordinance. While the city stopped testing facial recognition technology in 2007 and has not
City leaders now have two new opportunities to help ensure their residents live in healthy housing free of indoor environmental hazards, including a $1 million minimum grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and a technical assistance initiative from the National League of Cities (NLC). By placing a priority on
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina, welcomes approximately 100 new residents per day, making it the 9th fastest growing city in the country. And it’s no wonder: The city truly is, what some call, a “place of opportunity.” Charlotte is a hub for many things, most notable of which is jobs. The city boasts the second
