Managing Local Government

Kimberly L. Nelson is associate professor of public administration and government at the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, following six years in the Division of Public Administration at Northern Illinois University. Her research and teaching interests focus on local government management, local government form and structure, and innovation in local government. Her research on the effects of form of government on municipal performance and innovation have been published in leading journals including The American Review of Public Administration, Urban Affairs Review, and State and Local Government Review. She is also the author of book chapters and a regular presenter and participant at the conferences of the International City/County Management Association and the American Society for Public Administration. Dr. Nelson uses her research experience to inform her client work with local governments in strategic planning and improving local government-administrative relations, as well as to train local government leaders in promoting innovative practices. She received her Ph.D. in public administration from North Carolina State University.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1 * Managing Local Governments in a Dynamic World Purpose and Organization of the Book The Contemporary Context: Continuity and Change The Intergovernmental Landscape: Who's in Charge? Managing Challenges: Critical Competencies for Closing the Gap Chapter 2 * U.S. Local Governments in Historical Context Early Development of American Cities: 1700-1900 Urban Population Growth The Progressive Era Post-Progressive Era Metropolitan Development Looking Forward Chapter 3 * Types, Functions, and Authority of U.S. Local Governments U.S. Local Government Authority Local Government Types and Distribution Regional Models of Local Government Structure Local Forms of Government Chapter 4 * Working across Boundaries Stressed Local Structure Reform Perspectives The Manager's Key Transcending Role From Cooperation to Governance: Snow White and the 17 Dwarfs State Restructuring Incentives Regional Cooperation: Looking Forward Chapter 5 * The Career of the Local Government Manager Local Government Manager Profiles Working as a Local Government Manager Roles of the Local Government Manager Managers as Leaders The Local Government Manager as Organizational Leader The Manager's Code of Ethics Making the Case for a Career in Local Government Management Chapter 6 * Roles and Relationships Mayoral Authority and Roles Basics of Council-Manager Relationships: A North Carolina Example Realities of Council-Manager Roles and Responsibilities Changing Roles and Relationships Chapter 7 * Enhancing Council-Manager Effectiveness High-Performing Habits The Manager's Facilitating Role Mutual Expectations Recognizing and Dealing with Problems in the Governing Body Chapter 8 * Citizen Engagement Why Engage Citizens? History of U.S. Citizen Engagement Objectives of Citizen Participation Engagement Challenges From Participation to Power E-Government Engagement Making Engagement Work Chapter 9 * Service Delivery Strategies and Innovation Who Does What? Government-to-Government Approaches Who Does What? Public-Private Partnerships Other Alternative Service Delivery Tools Key Questions Building Capacity for Innovation Chapter 10 * The Manager's Toolbox Building Organizational Capacity The Manager's Toolbox The Journey from Planning and Measurement to Management Using the Tools as Manager Chapter 11 * Emerging Issues and Management Challenges Facing Local Governments Wicked Problems Facing Local Governments Current and Emerging Issues for Local Governments Skills Needed in Future Managers Tackling Wicked Problems Conclusion Appendix 1: International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Code of Ethics with Guidelines Appendix 2: International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Practices for Effective Local Government Management Index

Managing Local Government: An Essential Guide for Municipal and County Managers takes on a critical topic-governing in urban areas. This text is very readable for an undergraduate audience with limited knowledge of local government and provides solid discussion of the role of the city manager in local government. -- Raymond W. Cox III Managing Local Government: An Essential Guide for Municipal and County Managers by Kimberly Nelson and Carl Stenberg is highly readable, well researched, and well written. The text features a strong focus on theory and history, summarizing practical managerial advice and strategies and comparing and contrasting theory and factual information through charts and tables. -- Paula A. Duda Holoviak Managing Local Government: An Essential Guide for Municipal and County Managers offers an exceptional overview of the profession of local government management. It also offers key insights and a valuable road map for the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective manager in an increasingly complicated intergovernmental landscape. It highlights skills, practices, and policies that are essential for a student of local government management to understand. -- Christine Palus