USGBC calling for public comment on LEED for Neighborhood Development 

The U.S. Green Building Council is accepting public comments on its LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system. The rating system would serve as a guide to ensure ...

NLC calls for hometown economic stimulus 

President-elect Barack Obama and Congress need to partner with cities to create a "hometown economic stimulus package," said Washington-based National League of Cities (NLC) President Kathleen Novak during NLC's Congress of Cities in Miami on Thursday, whic was attended by more than 4,000 local government leaders....

Mayors call for federal economic assistance 

Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Tom Cochran is calling for a "Main Street Stimulus" plan that would direct federal assistance to local governments....

Michigan mayors fear plant closings 

The mayors of four of Michigan's largest cities are seeking federal redevelopment assistance in the event that a faltering Detroit-based American automobile manufacturing industry begins closing plants....

ICMA offers new grants for non-traditional library use 

As the role of the public library expands in some localities to include extra services, such as support for teens and immigrant residents, recycling programs and more, the International City/County Management Association wants to help finance similar programs....

Passage of Proposition 8 may cost California revenue 

California voters' approval Tuesday of Proposition 8, which eliminates the right of same-sex couples to marry, could cost the state and its local governments "several tens of millions of dollars" in lost revenue over the next few years...

Local Governments with Barack Obama 

What will Barack Obama's election mean for local governments? ...

Building America's Future calls for more federal spending on infrastructure 

Financing new ready-to-go infrastructure projects could provide jobs and stimulate the economy, said the Washington-based infrastructure advocacy group Building America's Future (BAF)...

New Jersey's integrity ranks highest on Better Government index 

New Jersey's laws provide the most transparency, ethics and accountability, according to the Chicago-based Better Government Association's (BGA) BGA-Alper Integrity Index...

Economic downturn stifles city budgets 

By: By Ed Brock (edward.brock@penton.com)

City budgets are shrinking in the shadow of the nation's economic downturn, and a report released in September by the Washington-based National League...

ICMA offers guide on community health 

The Washington-based International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and Philadelphia-based insurance company CIGNA's Creating a Culture of Health:...

Editor's Viewpoint: The tough get going 

By: By Bill Wolpin (bill.wolpin@penton.com)

The fear must have been palpable. Not the fear of an economic crisis that could evaporate jobs, but the certainty that the tornado outside had transformed usually secure homes into potential death traps....

Bailout add-ons bring counties brief relief 

By: By Ed Brock (edward.brock@penton.com)

When Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 in late September, it included some additional funding programs for local governments along with...

Water group compares industry paychecks 

The 2008 Water Utility Compensation Survey is available now from the American Water Works Association. The survey includes data for water and wastewater professionals...

Municipal Leader of the Year: Come-back kid 

By: By Nancy Mann Jackson

The tornado that flattened Greensburg, Kan., met its match in City Administrator Steve Hewitt. Determined not only to salvage his hometown, but to recreate a model of energy efficiency and sustainability, Hewitt never considered giving up....

Love at first site 

By: By Jennifer Grzeskowiak

Public-private partnerships are helping disenfranchised neighborhoods restore their beauty and attract a new generation of investors and residents....

Subtract add-ons? 

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which was signed into law Oct. 3, contains several add-ons that NACo has hailed as greatly beneficial to local governments. American City & County asked the readers of its weekly e-mail newsletter if they thought it was appropriate to add those items to the bill....

New York ends pension double-dipping 

New York is cracking down on double dipping in the state's school pension systems. A new law passed last month prohibits attorneys from serving as both...

Roll call 

MACTEC Engineering and Consulting's Keith McGuinn promoted; Citrix Systems hires Doug Couto; Bob Fines names president and CEO of Truck Bodies and Equipment International; GeoEye hires Jeanine Montgomery; Recaptured Energy Technologies hires Jim Schofield; PBS&J names Robert Paulsen its president; David Maurstad hired by PBS&J; Robert Burton joins Venable...

Homeless camps increase nationwide 

By: By Annie Gentile

In January 2007, the nation's sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons numbered 671,888, according to a report released in April by the National Coalition for the Homeless....

City drops the puck for new hockey arena 

Last month, Ontario, Calif., celebrated the opening of its 225,000-square-foot sports and entertainment venue, Citizens Business Bank Arena, home to the ECHL hockey team, the Ontario Reign....

Financial Management: Securing pensions 

By: By Stephen Garrow

Pension plan management is one of the most important jobs in local government. Trillions of dollars in assets are held in trust for more than 20 million working and retired government officials...

Postcards 

Pole position: The ladies of Adams Township, Pa., will have a chance to learn the ways of pole dancing, now that the Federal District Court has cleared...

NLC letter urges Congress to increase Medicaid match and infrastructure investment funds 

The "Big 6" local government associations are asking Congress to include more support for local governments in its efforts to rescue the economy...

Cleveland partners with private and other government agencies to reduce foreclosures 

Cleveland officials are teaming up with state and federal government agencies, along with private development companies and banks, to reduce the number of and damage from foreclosures in the city...