Everyone within a community has a stake in growing and building their communities to make them enjoyable places to live and a place they’re proud to call home. As strategic planning for local government is considered best practices, every community should participate in strategic planning. The size of the government should determine the need and degree of implementation, as well as the frequency of strategic planning. Strategic planning for local government requires two-way communication and an open exchange of ideas. Strategic planning isn’t everyone’s most favorite activity, so it helps … [Read more...] about How Local Governments Can Improve Strategic Planning

Shrinking Budgets for Local Governments, But More Responsibility Every tax dollar counts for local governments. Mounting pension commitments, infrastructure in need of repair, and many other factors have tightened the financial vise. Post-recession, local governments saw state aid drop by 12.6 billion dollars, while property taxes declined and 22 states saw a reduction in local government employees by up to 5 percent. While there’s been a slow rebound, funding and property tax dollars still haven’t returned to pre-recession levels in many states. A similar scenario can also be witnessed in all … [Read more...] about The Cost of Delaying Agenda Automation

If you’re looking for a job, it’s not necessary to leave your community to find meaningful, challenging work. Working for your local government may provide you with more opportunities than you might think. Local governments provide many of the same career opportunities as private industry. While many of the tasks are similar, important differences between public and private service make working for local governments attractive on many levels. If you’re looking for stability, great benefits, lots of learning opportunities, and the chance to really make a difference in your community, then a … [Read more...] about The Benefits of Working for Local Government

Most provinces hold their municipal elections on the same date every two, three or four years. Local elections are ward or at-large systems. For the most part, only independents run; although, a small number of locations have local political parties or election states. There are about 3,700 municipal governments in Canada, and they’re established under provincial or territorial authority. Rules for Running for Canadian Municipal Office Candidates running for local government must be at least 18 years old and be Canadian citizens. They don’t have to be homeowners, but they must be residents … [Read more...] about Navigating Canada Elections in Local Government