Three decades ago, local government management was a younger man's game. In 1971, only 8 percent of city managers were over 50, according to the Washington-based International City/County Management Association (ICMA). In 2002, as the civic-minded baby boomer generation began approaching retirement age, that number rose to 50 percent. While salaries are rising for city and county managers, the positions are becoming increasingly politicized and unattractive to younger generations. Viewing the situation as a crisis, ICMA considers recruiting new government managers a top priority and has created a number of programs to assist local governments with attracting and retaining younger administrators.