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

5 ways to increase construction contract opportunities for small businesses

As city and county government agency leaders know, there is tremendous power in the procurement...

How simplifying the permit process empowers local governments and improves local communities

Building permits have a bad reputation for being confusing and time-consuming, and often, that...

Social media can play an important role in a community’s emergency response

History has proven time and again that communication is often hampered when a natural disaster...

Article

5 ways to increase construction contract opportunities for small businesses

As city and county government agency leaders know, there is tremendous power in the procurement process. With that power comes responsibility to equitably invest funds through contracting opportunities for small businesses, which are the foundation of the American economy. This is especially true in the construction industry, which includes many small businesses vying for contracts […]

ArticleCommentary

How local government can make better organizational decisions

Organizations are often disappointed with the outcomes of key institutional decisions. Local governments are no exception. Bad outcomes aren’t always the result of bad luck. High-impact decisions are often made without the benefit of even writing anything down about the decision process. The fact is that many important decisions are inadequately analyzed and overly influenced […]

Article

How simplifying the permit process empowers local governments and improves local communities

Building permits have a bad reputation for being confusing and time-consuming, and often, that reputation is valid. But it’s not the permit itself that is the problem, it’s the permit process from start to finish. A poor permit process costs local governments potential revenue, scarce time and valuable resources. It can also deter developers from […]

Commentary

Social media can play an important role in a community’s emergency response

History has proven time and again that communication is often hampered when a natural disaster strikes. Wildfires create widespread chaos that expands beyond political and government-managed borders; flooding events can evolve quickly, making it difficult for first responders to know what’s going on in the corners of their jurisdictions; hurricanes bring ashore intense wind, splintering telephone poles and overwhelming […]

Article

5 ways online purchasing channels can boost government procurement efficiency

In the first B2B ECommerce in Evolution Report from Amazon Business, 40 percent of government buyers said increasing efficiency within the procurement department is a top priority this year. This initiative could have major implications for the way government organizations have historically purchased goods and products. Boosting government procurement efficiency will require the digital transformation […]

Commentary

How local governments can use the budgeting process to increase transparency and trust

COVID-19 has deepened many citizens’ relationship with their local governments. In the United States, citizens are focused on both the federal government’s response and that of their local governments, which have been highly influential on the overall pandemic response in any given part of the country. In the short term, this focus led to a […]

Article

Why equitable community engagement matters—and how to practice it

Overseeing a new construction or redevelopment project in your city is never a simple task. Every phase—from due diligence about the developer, to planning, permits and zoning—takes time and a specialized skill set. One phase that requires just as much expertise, but that is sometimes overlooked, is community engagement. When a municipality does it right, […]

Commentary

Navigating through the “new normal” of travel and infrastructure as cities reopen

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted local, regional and global travel patterns in unprecedented ways. By April, vehicle miles traveled plummeted across the globe. In the United States, drivers covered 70 percent fewer miles than before the pandemic. Public transit systems too saw massive declines, as workers either stopped commuting entirely or turned to […]

Article

Looking for money in local budgets: IT asset management in a post-pandemic world

State and local governments have been hit hard over the last 18 months. Since those jurisdictions often require balanced budgets, emergency spending during the pandemic must be offset by either budget cuts or tax increases. In fact, a Washington Post analysis shows that in 2020, the majority of states saw their tax revenues shrink with […]

Article

Accelerating the transition to digital citizen services

When the pandemic first took hold in the United States, the traditional means of providing local government services to citizens was disrupted and, in some cases, grounded to a halt. This accelerated the call for governments to deliver digital services to citizens, with constituents seeking a similar seamless online experience when accessing government services as […]

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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

5 ways to increase construction contract opportunities for small businesses

How simplifying the permit process empowers local governments and improves local communities

Social media can play an important role in a community’s emergency response

Article

5 ways to increase construction contract opportunities for small businesses

ArticleCommentary

How local government can make better organizational decisions

Article

How simplifying the permit process empowers local governments and improves local communities

Commentary

Social media can play an important role in a community’s emergency response

Article

5 ways online purchasing channels can boost government procurement efficiency

Commentary

How local governments can use the budgeting process to increase transparency and trust

Article

Why equitable community engagement matters—and how to practice it

Commentary

Navigating through the “new normal” of travel and infrastructure as cities reopen

Article

Looking for money in local budgets: IT asset management in a post-pandemic world

Article

Accelerating the transition to digital citizen services

WHITE PAPERS

IPAWS Emergency Notification Helps Bring Home Missing Family Member

How Your Municipal Website Can Encourage Local Business

State of Public Sourcing – Back to Business: Fast and Focused

Events

Podcast

Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

Twitter

California’s water crisis impacting local districts, energy production dlvr.it/S9qc44

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5 ways to increase construction contract opportunities for small businesses dlvr.it/S9fmcQ

How local government can make better organizational decisions dlvr.it/S9fJ89

Grant program recognizes cities furthering racial justice through police reform dlvr.it/S9Zg23

Diversifying the public workplace can improve productivity, quality decision making dlvr.it/S9VqCM

How simplifying the permit process empowers local governments and improves local communities dlvr.it/S9VcbT

The top 10 most sustainable midsized cities dlvr.it/S9TmZj