ICMA Main: News

Associations Release Fact Sheet on State and Local Finance

alexbrown@slge.org — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:32:29 -0500

A year ago banking analyst Meredith Whitney predicted 50 to 100 sizable municipal bond defaults or more. The facts are in: from 1970 to 2011, there were 65 rated municipal bond defaults; only five rated city or county governments defaulted during this period, according to Moody's Investment Services. While cities and counties have faced ongoing fiscal constraints, the vast majority of them are handling their debt service and pension obligations without breaking the budget. Eleven national associations, including the Big 7 state and local government associations as well as four organizations which represent state and local finance (...

ICMA to Address Fire/EMS Capability in Haiti

bmoore@icma.org — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:08:19 -0500

The earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010 left the country with a multitude of problems and needs. An estimated 300,000 people were killed; buildings were damaged or destroyed; at least a million people were left homeless and relocated to hastily constructed camps; the communications and transportation infrastructures were disrupted; and it was often unclear who was in charge of rescue and aid efforts. Delays in delivering aid led to great human suffering and sporadic violence. Throughout the response, there was no local ability to provide true rescue services or coordinated firefighting, and the earthquake put a spotlight on...

SLLC Files a Supreme Court Amicus Brief in Case Involving Legal Liability of Law Enforcement Officers

alexbrown@slge.org — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:23:00 -0500

ICMA signed onto an amicus curiae brief filed by State and Local Legal Center (SLLC) in a U.S. Supreme Court case that could affect the legal liability of state and local police officers when making arrests. The issue in Reichle v. Howards is whether a First Amendment retaliatory arrest claim can be brought against a law enforcement officer even though the officer had probable cause to make the arrest. Two Secret Service agents do not dispute they arrested Mr. Howards because of his First Amendment protected speech: telling Vice President Dick Cheney that his “policies in Iraq are disgusting.” The Tenth...

NEW! Nominate Ideas for 2012 ICMA Annual Conference Solutions Track

edodson@icma.org — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:33:52 -0500

Does your organization work with local government(s)? Have you partnered with a city, town, or county to overcome local government challenges? Would your organization like to have an opportunity to share your innovations and ideas with up to 150 local government managers? Then submit a brief synopsis to edodson@icma.org for consideration in the Solutions Track at the 2012 ICMA Annual Conference in Phoenix/Maricopa County, Arizona (October 7-10, 2012). Each organization can submit up to three ideas. There is space in the program for only 15 sessions. . ....

A Decade of Living Dangerously

mfrisby@icma.org — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:29:57 -0500

by Robert J. O'Neill Jr. Executive Director, ICMA Although many of us in local government feel as if we'll need to fend for ourselves for at least the next decade—if not longer—due to the slow pace of economic recovery, I believe that the next decade will be one of incredible creativity for local government. By now most of us have come to realize that the status quo no longer works, and that innovating and making choices that were previously politically unthinkable are the only ways to maintain a balance between our fiscal challenges and our responsiveness to...

E-Government Initiatives Save Money and Encourage Citizen Engagement

emoulder@icma.org — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:59:33 -0500

Steeped in history, the town of Concord, Massachusetts (pop. 17,668), was settled in 1635 and can claim as past residents Emerson, Thoreau, and Louisa May Alcott. Several centuries later, residents are committed to preserving Concord’s history, and they also appreciate the benefits that technology has to offer. The town has had an official website since 1998. Managed by the chief technology officer/office, the website has a dedicated webmaster and allows individual departments to have web pages, which must maintain a look and feel consistent with the main local government website. These departments have staff designated to manage their web...

RAMP UP Produces Promising Results in Afghanistan

eelledge@icma.org — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:37:42 -0500

Now in its second year of implementation, the Regional Afghan Municipalities Program for Urban Populations (RAMP UP) continues to work toward creating better local governance in Afghanistan. RAMP UP was designed to build local government capacity, improve service delivery, and strengthen economic development in selected municipalities. RAMP UP seeks to create a more responsive, democratic, and reliable government that gains the confidence of its citizens. In collaboration with DAI, the prime contractor, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), ICMA seeks to promote more consistent and productive interactions between Afghan residents and their local governments in the western,...

Thank You, LGMF Hosts!

rcarty@icma.org — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:02:31 -0500

The Local Government Management Fellowship , launched in 2004 by ICMA, NASPAA, NFBPA and IHN, has grown steadily since the pilot year, and we look forward to continue placing these outstanding candidates in local governments nationwide in 2012. The commitment to host a Fellow is a steep one. Hosts create and fund an entry-level management position, design a rigorous scope of work (with rotations or single-office placement), support professional development opportunities, and mentor the Fellow for one to two years. But while the commitment is steep, the returns are great. Since the pilot year, six alumni Fellows have been...

Where Openness to Diversity Thrives

kstrigaro@icma.org — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:23:11 -0500

If you are painting a picture of today’s America, you’ll be using a lot less white and pink than you did in 1950. In the coming decades, white Americans who are not of Hispanic origin will be a minority in the United States. This overall change in the country as a whole is reflected more or less in every small and large city from our bread basket middle to the south, east to west. With 82% of the increase in population from 2005 to 2050 expected to be due to immigrants and their children, city managers and elected officials interested...

Would You Like to Be Recognized?

drubin@icma.org — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:13:58 -0500

ICMA’s Annual Awards Program honors creative contributions to professional local government management and increases public awareness of the value of professional management to the quality of life in our communities. The Annual Awards Program includes the Professional Awards , which recognize individual achievement, and the Program Excellence Awards , which are presented to local governments and their chief administrators in recognition of creative and successful programs. An independent Awards Evaluation Panel comprised of 17 U.S. and international ICMA members selects the awards recipients each year. Nominations for 2012 are being accepted through March 16. Complete information...

Sustainable Communities Fellowship: Call for Applications

bmoore@icma.org — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:39:04 -0500

ICMA is recruiting two U.S. government professionals to participate in a U.S. Department of State Sustainable Communities Fellowship Program--one to travel to China and one to New Zealand. Each Fellow will travel for two weeks to participate in a short-term internship that will include job shadowing, meeting with government officials, and outreach to nonprofits and community groups working to create sustainable communities. About the program The program is designed to promote local government partnerships, establish networks and international relationships, and lead to creativity in identifying locally appropriate solutions for creating more sustainable communities within the panorama of...

Announcing the ICMA China Center

bmoore@icma.org — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:52:49 -0500

ICMA and the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) formally established the ICMA China Center at a December 8 meeting conducted by video web conference in English and Chinese. Meeting at 7:00 AM Washington time, 8:00 PM Beijing time, the newly constituted ICMA China Center board confirmed the partners’ mutual understandings and responsibilities. The formation of the Center is the culmination of lengthy and intensive groundwork that began in 2008, as ICMA recognized the importance of establishing a presence in China. According to ICMA Executive Director Bob O’Neill, “Given the incredible pace and scale of urbanization in...

GASB Proposes Five-Year Financial Projections for Local Governments

alexbrown@slge.org — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:43:37 -0500

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has issued a proposal that would require state and local governments to present five-year projections of cash inflows, cash outflows, and financial obligations that would be submitted as supplemental information along with their regular financial reports. Two local government officals and Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee members note that their local governments already produced three-year financial projections, and that stretching them out any longer would not be useful since, given current economic conditions, they would be “complete guess work.” Another manager wonders if the request for five-year...

Study Tour Shares Best Practices

bmoore@icma.org — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:57:25 -0500

A significant goal of ICMA’s funded international technical assistance projects is to leave in place professional municipal staff, standard operating procedures, and streamlined management systems that will enable local participants to sustain improvements in governance and service delivery after the project ends. The USAID and ICMA Commercialization of Afghanistan Water and Sanitation Activity ( CAWSA ) program has made significant strides toward achieving that goal. Most recently, CAWSA arranged a week-long training and study tour for 15 directors and engineers from local water supply companies in Afghanistan to participate in a study tour to Ahmedabad, in Gujarat state, India....

Controlling Health Care Costs: Three Cities and Their Strategies

amayers@icma.org — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:28:56 -0500

Public and private employers face the same challenge: how to control the continuing growth in health care costs. A new issue brief from the Center for State and Local Government Excellence examines how three city governments – Asheville, Denver, and Oklahoma City – have responded to rising health care costs. All three cities use a range of strategies, including: Wellness programs Chronic disease management Employee clinics Cost shifting to employees Plan design changes Trust fund. Although all three cities offer retiree health care benefits and require retirees...

Local Governments Poised to Reinvent Themselves

mfrisby@icma.org — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 16:11:46 -0500

A new paper from ICMA , the International City/County Management Association, finds that local governments throughout the nation are dealing with the ongoing effects of the economic recession and have moved past a “business as usual” approach to cutting costs and improving efficiency. As a result, America's cities, towns, and counties are poised to find ways to reinvent themselves now that the most commonly used measures have been adopted and implemented. Coping with Crisis: How Are Local Governments Reinventing Themselves in the Wake of the Great Recession? , by Carl W. Stenberg, a...

Twenty-One Days that Changed My Life

kkaras@icma.org — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:21:58 -0500

by Doug Hewett If someone told you they could change your life in 21 days, making you a better person and a better manager, would you believe them? As managers, we are often skeptical of such claims. Our skepticism, created by years of experience, is habitual. And like those of us who have tried to start an exercise routine, lose weight or quit smoking know, habits are oftentimes hard to create and break. Anecdotal and some empirical data suggest that it takes 21 days to form or break habits in our lives. This is a story of how 21 days at...

Volunteers Needed for Task Force on Financing ICMA

drubin@icma.org — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:29:05 -0500

The ICMA Executive Board is convening a task force of members to evaluate ICMA’s revenue sources and specifically the membership dues structure in the overall context of how ICMA is financed and funded. The last task force on financing ICMA met in 2003-2004 and issued their final report in 2004. The board’s financial policies establish long term and interim net asset targets to ensure the financial stability of ICMA. To achieve these targets, ICMA operates with a diverse revenue stream including dues, professional development offerings, grants and contracts, private sector contributions and sponsorships, publications, subscriptions,...

DOE Awards $12 Million to Spur Rapid Adoption of Solar Energy with the Rooftop Solar Challenge

aread@icma.org — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:46:07 -0500

As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative, Energy Secretary Steven Chu was joined by Lynn Jurich, the president and co-founder of the solar power company SunRun, and Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman to announce $12 million in funding for the awardees of the Rooftop Solar Challenge. The Challenge supports 22 regional teams to spur solar power deployment by cutting red tape—streamlining and standardizing permitting, zoning, metering, and connection processes—and improving finance options to reduce barriers and lower costs for residential and small commercial rooftop solar systems. This project is part of the Department's larger effort to make...

Career Compass No. 22: Overcoming Your Blind Spots

rcarty@icma.org — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:28:09 -0500

My department head talks about listening to employees, wanting their ideas, promoting innovation, and providing support for staff. He seems sincere about these intentions but his actions demonstrate that he does not live these values. It seems to me that he has major blind spots like most of us. He does ask for feedback but no one tells him the truth. As I develop my leadership capabilities, how do I become more self-aware so my behavior matches my intentions? You are right; self-awareness is a primary competency for leaders at all levels...

Performance Measurement Yields Results and Transparency

kstrigaro@icma.org — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:15:21 -0500

Given that governments obtain funding through mandatory taxation, citizens rightfully feel that government organizations must be held accountable for how they spend their money, and that the programs their money helps to fund are working efficiently and effectively. For these reasons, measuring performance becomes critical in promoting transparency and showing the public that government is acting responsibly. Strategically Aligning Performance Beginning in 2009, the city of Collinsville, Illinois, (pop. 26,000; in southern Illinois near St. Louis) implemented a performance management system that allows it to evaluate what programs are and are not working. But more importantly...

ICMA Student Chapters Update

rdavies@icma.org — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:34:33 -0500

In addition to the three pilot ICMA Student Chapters, eight additional universities established chapters during the fall. The complete roster of chapters is: University of Alabama at Birmingham Northern Illinois University Indiana University Appalachian State University Brigham Young University Cornell University The George Washington University Norwich University University of Kansas University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh Villanova University ICMA is creating program content that engages...

Membership Suspension Added to Ethics Enforcement Options

kkaras@icma.org — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:59:21 -0500

An ICMA member who violates the ICMA Code of Ethics can now be suspended from membership as part of the changes made to the ICMA Rules of Procedure for enforcing the Code of Ethics. Under the changes approved by the ICMA Executive Board, a suspension requires board approval. The length of the suspension depends on the severity of the infraction but cannot exceed five years. During suspension, the member must follow the requirements of the Code of Ethics. Based on the recommendation of the Committee on Professional Conduct (CPC), the rules were also amended to make a membership expulsion or bar permanent. This...

President Obama Signs 3% Withholding Repeal

alexbrown@slge.org — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:48:44 -0500

President Obama signed into law legislation which repeals the 3% withholding requirement on government payments to most contractors. ICMA and the Government Withholding Relief Coalition worked to urge the repeal, sending letters to both the House and Senate in the weeks preceding their votes. The 3% repeal enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress. The House originally passed a bill including the 3% repeal in late October. The Senate amended the bill to include a provision for tax breaks for employers who hire out of work veterans which passed 95-0. The amended bill was subsequently passed...

America Recycles Day: What Goes Around Comes Around

amayers@icma.org — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:07:06 -0500

Let’s start with a few random facts about how much Americans throw away.* The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 pounds per person per year. In other words, five percent of the world's people generate 40 percent of the world's waste. We use more than 80,000,000,000 aluminum soda cans every year. (But because so many of them are recycled, aluminum cans account for less than one percent of the total U.S. waste stream, according to EPA estimates. And there is no limit to the amount of times an aluminum can...