Commentaries

Commentaries are contributed, non-commercial and educational articles that subject matter experts write for American City & County. If you would like to submit an exclusive commentary, click here to view our guidelines.

Highlights

Helping the hidden: Technology connects incarcerated mothers during COVID-19 pandemic

If you've spent any time working with incarcerated women, then you’ve seen a heartbreaking...

Mayors and electric utilities: natural partners in the COVID-19 crisis

The short-term impacts of the new Coronavirus for 2019 (COVID-19) are rippling through our...

3 ways to make clean water affordable in America’s smallest communities

Water might not seem like a scarce resource, but drinking water is becoming a serious financial...

Article

Public-private partnerships: Why governments can’t do it alone

As a result of COVID-19’s impact on state and local municipalities, a new model for Public Private Partnerships (P3) is emerging to deliver citizen services in a more cost-effective way. While P3s have been around for decades, these partnerships have primarily focused on real estate and infrastructure development. But now, at a time when governments […]

Commentary

Going green without going broke

As more and more communities directly experience the negative impacts of climate change, municipalities are under ever-increasing pressure to embrace sustainable development and green infrastructure. And now, as towns and cities adjust to the “new normal” during and after the COVID-19 crisis, municipal administrations have a window of opportunity to efficiently implement sustainable programs along […]

Commentary

How ransomware threats are evolving and how to spot them

A series of new reports explains how ransomware attackers are changing techniques and how organizations can spot stealthy criminals. Modern ransomware operators are adopting techniques similar to those of advanced nation-state actors, researchers report. Their attacks are quieter and more long-term as they sit on target networks and search for the exact information they need […]

Commentary

Hidden dangers: Our communities’ buildings turn toxic when they burn

Last year was the deadliest, most destructive wildfire season ever recorded in California. This – and the ongoing fight against climate change – has been a wake-up call for municipal leaders, code officials, and local public health leaders to look at sustainability, human health and equity issues related to the built environment and emergency response. […]

Commentary

Helping the hidden: Technology connects incarcerated mothers during COVID-19 pandemic

If you’ve spent any time working with incarcerated women, then you’ve seen a heartbreaking reality firsthand. This anguish is more visible than ever with the relentless repercussions of COVID-19 and the astonishing rise of incarceration rates for women which has grown 750 percent since 1980. I have spent years working as an educator inside the […]

Commentary

Budget planning at the height of uncertainty

For many working in the public sector, budgeting for an upcoming fiscal year is well underway. Has there ever been a more challenging time to account for future unknowns than the current crisis we find ourselves working to overcome? Budget planning during a “normal” fiscal year is difficult enough, as unknowns and what-ifs are a […]

Commentary

The art of a graffiti-free city

Cities across America are struggling with the effects of graffiti at an annual cost to taxpayers of billions of dollars, according to a report conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. To exasperate the problem, some areas of the country are actually embracing “graffiti art.” Are these cities throwing […]

Mayors and electric utilities: natural partners in the COVID-19 crisis

The short-term impacts of the new Coronavirus for 2019 (COVID-19) are rippling through our communities and economy. Communities are facing unemployment at levels higher than the Great Recession, business and societal disruption, and some businesses that may never to return. This crisis calls for strong and compassionate leadership that brings all segments of the community […]

Commentary

3 ways to make clean water affordable in America’s smallest communities

Water might not seem like a scarce resource, but drinking water is becoming a serious financial hardship for Americans in small towns across the country. Consider Martin County, Kentucky, where roughly half the citizens lack affordable, reliable water service. Despite residents suffering multiday water outages and quality issues, the average water bill was among the […]

Article

Post-COVID-19 property maintenance responsibility

Who is your neighbor? This is a very important question for those in the community development field. The foreclosure crisis in the first decade of the 21st century taught us neighbors are not only the person residing in the property, but also the mortgage lien holder. With the great unknown of what will be the […]

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Commentaries

Commentaries are contributed, non-commercial and educational articles that subject matter experts write for American City & County. If you would like to submit an exclusive commentary, click here to view our guidelines.

Highlights

Helping the hidden: Technology connects incarcerated mothers during COVID-19 pandemic

Mayors and electric utilities: natural partners in the COVID-19 crisis

3 ways to make clean water affordable in America’s smallest communities

Article

Public-private partnerships: Why governments can’t do it alone

Commentary

Going green without going broke

Commentary

How ransomware threats are evolving and how to spot them

Commentary

Hidden dangers: Our communities’ buildings turn toxic when they burn

Commentary

Helping the hidden: Technology connects incarcerated mothers during COVID-19 pandemic

Commentary

Budget planning at the height of uncertainty

Commentary

The art of a graffiti-free city

Mayors and electric utilities: natural partners in the COVID-19 crisis

Commentary

3 ways to make clean water affordable in America’s smallest communities

Article

Post-COVID-19 property maintenance responsibility

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