Many Americans engage in public service through military service. The nation invests significant resources in training these individuals in a wide array of skills. Many of these skills translate very well to the kinds of talent local governments desire. Unfortunately, much of that talent fails to get positioned well for local governments except in the public safety field. But the talents our veterans have meet many local government needs.
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Local government continues to be the source of new and innovative solutions to specific problems confronting the lives of residents. However, local officials across the country have expressed strong concerns about the recent growth in state restrictions and preemptions of municipal and county authority. State restrictions are increasing in the wake of other actions since the Great Recession that have frustrated local leaders efforts to serve and improve their communities.
Valley Benchmark Communities (VBC) is a group of 13 Arizona municipalities working to improve local government performance. As one of the largest and oldest performance management consortiums in the U.S. and covering a population of over 4 million in the Phoenix metro area, VBC creates a trend report that informs, represents, and supports its members and the general public on an annual basis. VBC, by working collaboratively with designated representatives from local governments and their communities:
Executive Summary The Goodyear Cost Recovery Research Project reviews Goodyear’s Parks and Recreation fee structure and current cost recovery model in relation to program fees, rentals, and procedures against comparable cities in order to identify new and better options. The following report details data from comparable cities regarding fee philosophies, fees assessed, as well as rental policies and procedures.
Public Transit Survey Report
Smart Cities Council Financing Guide
Brookings Research Website
Collaborative Services White Paper