Small Local Governments Research Articles

"Sustainable Community Development" and "Locally Initiated Job Creation": Local Small and Mid-sized Enterprises and Local Governments as Key Actors in Community-based Employment Projects.

"Sustainable Community Development" and "Locally Initiated Job Creation": Local Small and Mid-sized Enterprises and Local Governments as Key Actors in Community-based Employment Projects.

RIA: aplicación de una metodología para el seguimiento de la localización de los ODS

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs are currently a central pillar of action for international organizations, determining development and cooperation actions at a global scope. From a technical perspective, to build and systematize information for the alignment and subsequent monitoring of policies and indicators implies a significant effort. Especially at the sub-national level, this collides with small local governments often lacking experience and resources when it comes to monitoring policies, which affects their ability to keep track of their performance towards SDGs. This article presents the adaptation of RIA methodology for SDGs monitoring at a local level. Its empirical application in six departmental governments in Uruguay made it possible to assess their contributions to the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda and to deepen debates regarding the prerogatives and quality of policies at sub-national levels.

Financial Condition of Local Government in Poland vs StructuralReforms of Municipal Government in Scandinavian States

The authors have undertaken an analysis of the phenomenon of debt of local government units in Poland. It is a dynamic phenomenon, which affects vast majority of municipalities and districts. A barrier to debt expansion has been established in the form of the Individual Debt Index (IOI), which has been in place since 2014 and its new elements entered into force on 1 January 2020. The structure of the index is intended to allow regional accounting chambers (RIO) to control the process and prevent its progression. The authors indicate, however, that the main problem for local self-government units is insufficient own income, which forces them to increase the pool of funds transferred from the central budget to self-governments in the form of grants and subventions and to look for various forms of loans for their activities. Using the experience of the Scandinavian countries, the authors propose to start territorial and resource consolidation reforms of small local government units – municipalities and districts. The aim is to facilitate better use of endogenous resources of territorial self-government units and use of economies of scale related to local economy and social resources. This should result, as in Scandinavia, in the development of public entrepreneurship, higher social efficiency and effectiveness, and stabilisation of the income of individual units. After more than 20 years of operation, small local government units in Poland have become structurally and functionally obsolete and do not guarantee modern development of local communities.

Assessing the efficacy of state interventionist policies on population growth in small Western Australian regional locales

ABSTRACT In 2008, the Western Australian State Government initiated its Royalties for Regions Program to fund its regional development mandate. The program, an outcome of an electoral commitment, reallocated 25% of the state’s prodigious mineral royalties to non-metropolitan regions, with supporters applauding the improved regional conditions and critics claiming fiscal irresponsibility. Numerous reviews, mostly qualitative, were undertaken, but the state’s Auditor-General asserted that the program remained unmeasured. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the program’s outcomes as framed by the state’s regional development policies. It investigates the program’s influence on populations in small local governments (with fewer than 5,000 residents), where its effect would be most prominent, to determine whether the program prompted population growth. The research uses census data to examine how these municipalities’ population growth deviated from their projected growth while discounting for major resource projects – the mainstay of these local governments. The research concludes that the sampled populations typically declined more than projected. Discussion follows, questioning whether government investment and interventionist policies in regional development can achieve population growth in regional settings.

Climate action assessment in three small municipalities in British Columbia: advancements vis-à-vis major neighboring cities

This paper applied a recently developed Local Government Climate Action Assessment Framework to identify whether small municipalities in British Columbia are on track to meet their climate targets and to better understand the effectiveness of their climate-related actions. The aim of this paper was (1) to further test the assessment framework by evaluating its applicability for smaller municipalities, (2) to evaluate and categorize local progress in three small cities, namely Campbell River, Prince George and Revelstoke, and (3) to contrast these climate actions with actions taken by larger municipalities in BC, using the same assessment framework. This assessment revealed that key external support made available to expand on their Integrated Community Sustainability Plans provided for striking similarities among the three case studies regarding their strategies and plan formulations for which actions were largely transformative or reformative. However, the three small cities were lacking periodic reporting and monitoring of actions and presented shorter timeframes of up to 20-50 years for their planning horizons, all of which negatively impact their prioritization strategies. The main difference between larger and smaller cities was found among actions related to the feedback and evaluation category of the framework, with smaller cities performing more poorly. Greater shift in priorities away from climate change-related actions were evident in smaller local governments, signalling their more vulnerable position regarding changes in leadership in local and provincial administrations. This study highlights the key role that strategic alliances, networks, and external champions as partners play in planning and implementing climate action and in increasing public interest in sustainability. Thus, these should be fostered and promoted to keep building local capacity and effectively accelerate greater change through e.g., strengthening their capacity to implement, monitor and evaluate climate actions.

Assessing fiscal distress in small county governments

Assessing fiscal distress in small county governments

Liking, Tweeting and Posting: An Analysis of Community Engagement through Social Media Platforms

ABSTRACT Through data-driven analysis, this article maps the use of various social media platforms in a local government municipality, Georges River Council (GRC), in New South Wales, Australia from 2016 to 2019. We examine underlying dynamics of citizen engagement in Council’s projects and activities through their Facebook page, their Twitter account and Instagram feeds, using social network analysis and content analysis as two main methods of enquiry. This research emerges as part of a “smart cities” collaborative project involving three partners: University of New South Wales Sydney, Street Furniture Australia and Georges River Council, a small local government municipality located 15 km from Sydney’s central business district.

Critical Review of COVID-2019 in America and Impacts on Its Economy

The study was carried out since 20th June, 2020. The universe of the study was America. The major objective was to critically review the COVID-2019 in America and its impact on its economy. Secondary data was used and total 19 articles were studied in depth and drew the result. The result indicates that the COVID-2019 first case was identified on 20 January, 2020 in Northwest state of Washington, a man was came from Wuhan on 15th January. He was treated in the hospital for full analysis and he was also recovered. Trump in the beginning told that it will be cleared very soon but latter on the number of corona cases were increased and spread to other cities of America. After 16th April, 2020 the total number cases in China was decreased and only 46 new cases were identified while in America the cases were increased and reached to 674,829 and the death number was 34475 while the new cases number was 26826. Hustle and bustle was started in New york, Washington and California and the cases of America come on the top in the world followed by Italy, Spain and Germany. Donald Trump claimed to WHO for this high spreading corona virus in America. He told that WHO have not helped in time while America pay major portion of the fund to WHO. Latter on Dr. Fauci told that it is the mistake of the Donal Trump who one week late started the locked down in the country and because of this the corona spread in America all cities. It was also observed that the medical facilities were less than the requirements. ICU beds shortage were found in the hospital. The number of corona infected people was more than the ICU Beds. Locked down has shacked the economy of America. Supply and demand were highly affected by locked down. Locked down have also decreased the price of the oil in America. The people mostly stayed at their houses, so the expenditure of the oil was less than the supply and because of this the price of the oil decreased and reached to minus 37 dollars. Among members of Unite Here, a union representing 307,000 hotel and restaurant workers nationwide, 98% are out of work. California may lose $20 billion to $50 billion in tax revenues, and this will come from its $200 billion annual budget. Washington has answered with a $2 trillion relief package, and the Federal Reserve Board this week announced $2.3 trillion of additional virus relief for small businesses and local governments. Similarly trade was banned and industries were closed only for corona Control. All schools and universities were closed by government while on line classes were started in the country. All economic situation of the country was badly affected by corona virus locked down and economic growth of the country was declined. Mostly all nations have focused on corona. All scientists of the America tried for discovery of Corona Vaccine while still no vaccine was discovered. The system of the health was crushed due to large number of corona cases. The range of the poverty in the country was increased. About 25% people become unemployed. The debt burden was raised and reached to 26 trillion dollars. All airport of the country was closed by government. Locked down period was increased till August, 2020. Trump ordered to all banks of the country for loan provision on low interest rate. As like great depression 1930 recession chances were increased. On the basis of problems the study recommend that to first cover the COVID-2019 in the country and then think for economic development of a country; All sectors of the country will be opened to that time when corona cases ended in America; Locked down and stay at home is the only tool for corona controlling; All boundaries of the country should be Locked; All airports of the country should be closed till corona controlling; Sanitizer should be used for the purpose of corona control; Always Mask should be wore and Social distance role should be kept in the country; Number of beds in ICU should be increased; All cases of corona should be recorded for corona ups and down; Free fund should be provided to below poverty line people in the country; Doctor should be encouraged in the country; Social stigma should be decreased in the country; Medical facilities should be provided to people in the country on free basis; First is the health and then the economy, when the health cover then the economy will be developed, So the study concluded that care about the health and without health the development of America is impossible.

The state of a street tree management plan and a citizen participation system in local Japanese government

In this study, we will understand the actual situation of street trees maintenance management systems in local governments in Japan and the development status of street trees maintenance management plans and management guidelines. Next, this study was to understand the current state of the street trees maintenance management system and its impact, and to investigate the problems of citizen’s participation in street trees maintenance management. As a result, street trees maintenance work is mainly done in the civil engineering road sector. In large local governments, staff specializes in landscaping, while in small local governments, it’s mainly civil engineering. In addition, most street trees management methods are outsourced by contractors, with less than half direct management by staff. The policy to maintain street trees is positioned in many local government green master plans. Since 2015, local governments have developed conservation plans for street trees and are working on sound conservation. Since the 2000s, local governments have been working on maintenance management systems with the participation of residents. Most of them are road beautification activities based on adaptive systems. In the future, the challenge will be to further expand the system and raise citizen’s interest and value perception.

Case of Social Work`s Profession: Local Social Welfare Administration in the Estonian Small Local Government

Case of Social Work`s Profession: Local Social Welfare Administration in the Estonian Small Local Government Vaike Raudava Abstract After the restoration of independence social work became part of the post-communist society again in 1995. The occupation of social worker is still not specified on the level of local government of Estonia in the beginning the 21st century. On the national level there is no law or legal standard setting the requirement to employ a civil servant as a social worker in local government. (This study does not include the new requirements for child protection workers). As a consequence of this problem many municipal employees in the field of social work lack professional training. Gray& Gibbons (2007) have argued that ethical guidelines do not guarantee ethical social work practice when professional intervention requires professional knowledge. Using a general name "social care (welfare) administration," the administrations employ non-professionals, professionals of other fields or non-educated employees. Even more disputable is the practice of including the members of the local council’s Committee of Social Affairs who lack any professional knowledge in the decision-making process of clients’ cases. Full Text: PDF DOI: 10.15640/jssw.v8n1a3

Do Small Local Governments Fare Well? A Survey of Villages in New York

Public administration studies have not adequately discussed governance challenges for small local governments. Given that more than 10% of villages have, unprecedentedly, voted on dissolution in New York over the past 10 years, this article exclusively and comprehensively investigates how well villages are faring in New York. Using a representative survey of village governments, coupled with a rich secondary data set, it finds institutional and political tensions between villages and their underlying town(s). It also suggests intergovernmental fiscal factors have threatened the organizational and fiscal health of some village governments. In addition, villages have extensively established service-sharing mechanisms with town(s) to mitigate fiscal stress. The majority of village officials remain skeptical about dissolution as an effective approach to cost savings.

Understanding the Collaborative Planning Process in Homeless Services: Networking, Advocacy, and Local Government Support May Reduce Service Gaps.

The Continuum of Care (CoC) process-a nationwide system of regional collaborative planning networks addressing homelessness-is the chief administrative method utilized by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to prevent and reduce homelessness in the United States. The objective of this study is to provide a benchmark comprehensive picture of the structure and practices of CoC networks, as well as information about which of those factors are associated with lower service gaps, a key goal of the initiative. A national survey of the complete population of CoCs in the United States was conducted in 2014 (n = 312, 75% response rate). This survey is the first to gather information on all available CoC networks. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to determine the relationship between internal networking, advocacy frequency, government investment, and degree of service gaps for CoCs of different sizes. United States. Lead contacts for CoCs (n = 312) that responded to the 2014 survey. Severity of regional service gaps for people who are homeless. Descriptive statistics show that CoCs vary considerably in regard to size, leadership, membership, and other organizational characteristics. Several independent variables were associated with reduced regional service gaps: networking for small CoCs (β = -.39, P < .05) and local government support for midsized CoCs (β = -.10, P < .05). For large CoCs, local government support was again significantly associated with lower service gaps, but there was also a significant interaction effect between advocacy and networking (β = .04, P < .05). To reduce service gaps and better serve the homeless, CoCs should consider taking steps to improve networking, particularly when advocacy is out of reach, and cultivate local government investment and support.

Identity of Place in the Branding of Small and Medium-Sized Communes

The place brand is an extremely complex and multidimensional concept. Creation of a strong territorial brand is largely dependent on identifying aspects which define the attractiveness of a given place. As the literature on the subject and studies prepared by experts tend to devote a lot of attention to large urban centres, I decided to analyse how small and middle-sized local government units deal with the brand building process. The aim of the study was to determine the aspect of attractiveness that build identities of small and medium-sized communes (gminas), the dimensions of identities of such communes, and the typological classes of communes defined on the basis of these dimensions. Local authorities tend to perceive place brands primarily through the prism of key attributes of individual places. Natural attributes and attractions, geographical location, events, and sport facilities are the building blocks of attractiveness for small and middle-sized local government units. The key dimensions of the communes’ identities are the aspects of their attractiveness in terms of settlement, tourism and economic activity. The conducted analysis allowed also to distinguish communes with strong and distinctive identities, communes whose identities are defined primarily by their offer dedicated to the residents, ones defined most strongly by their business and cultural offers, communes whose identity is not very clear and requires intervention, as well as communes with a high level of tourist attractiveness and good recreational offerings.&#x0D;

COMPLIANCE OF MICRO SMALL MEDIUM ENTERPRISE TAX PAYERS TO GROSS REGIONAL DOMESTIC PRODUCT

Increasing the number of Micro Small and Medium Enterprise local government of Bandung is a potential source of income from the local tax sector to increase development an economic city of Bandung. This research is to describe the role of tax payer compliance rate on Micro Small and Medium Enterprise to increase the Gross Regional Domestic Product as measured by the increase government expenditures of finance development of Bandung city during period 2013 – 2016. The method of study is descriptive verificatif by using the analytical tool Two Stage Least Square. The result of the analysis indicates that compliance of micro enterprise tax payers will impact to increase the gross regional domestic product through the increased government expenditures sourced from local tax revenues.

Institutional isomorphism and cash management practices in Mississippi

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to draw on the theory of institutional isomorphism to investigate how Mississippi’s centralized cash management policy affects the cash management practices in the state’s rural and urban counties.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a sequential exploratory mixed methods design involving a qualitative documentary analysis and a quantitative analysis of a survey of Mississippi counties.FindingsThe study finds that institutional isomorphism drives cash management practices in the counties by influencing how they follow state and agency mandates. Moreover, while urban counties have superior socio-economic indicators compared to their rural counterparts, no differences exist regarding standardized financial indicators, which suggest that local governments in the state may be imitating the practices of one another.Practical implicationsFirst, states should consider the different financial and economic conditions of their local governments when prescribing cash management policies because uniform policies could stifle local innovation and reduce efficiency in cash management. Second, when there is pressure from a higher-level government or a state agency, local governments may end up imitating one another rather than exploring opportunities for innovation within state policies. Third, state policies should consider requiring education and training in cash management practices that help identify strategies to add value to public funds within the scope of local fiscal capabilities.Originality/valueThe study uses one state to investigate a unique case of centralized cash management practices. The lessons learned can apply to other states seeking to develop a policy for their small local governments without placing the larger ones at a disadvantage.

Local Government Size and Political Efficacy: Do Citizen Panels Make a Difference?

ABSTRACTDemocratic theorists typically suggest that citizens served by small local governments have high levels of political efficacy. However, it is conceivable that large governments can overcome the burden of bigness by introducing structures that involve citizens more closely in decision-making. This paper analyses whether jurisdiction size influences political efficacy in Welsh local government, and whether the presence of a citizen panel makes a difference to the size-efficacy relationship. Multi-level analyses suggest that size is negatively associated with internal and external political efficacy, but that the use of citizen panels bolsters the external efficacy of citizens served by larger local government.

Validation of the Framework for Assessing Occupational Health Risks of Municipal Solid Waste Handlers

BACKGROUND: The occupational health risks associated with municipal solid waste handling are widely documented in literature. However, no framework has been developed for their assessment. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tool for use by local government structures.METHODS: Epidemiological evidence on human health risks associated with municipal solid waste management (MSWM) was obtained from literature and primary data collected from the study sites. An analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of available human and environmental risk assessment frameworks was done and the findings were used as a base for the framework. The proposed framework was validated through iteration workshops in small, medium and large local government structures. Also, it was presented in a safety and health conference, in order obtain the input of occupational health and safety practitioners, researchers and policy makers.RESULTS: A draft framework was produced, validated and revised to incorporate resolutions made from the iteration workshops. The final framework constitutes four inputs, six phases and four principles. Each phase has defined outputs.CONCLUSION: The applicability of the framework to situations of resource-constrained economies has been tested through validation workshops in small, medium and large local government structures of a low income country. In light of the multi-methods used in developing the framework and the input of practitioners in validation workshops, the framework appears relevant for the purposes of assessing occupational health risks of municipal solid waste handlers (MSWHs).

E-government services and social media adoption: Experience of small local governments in Nebraska state

Considering that social media as new tools complement existing e-government services, it is necessary to understand what types of e-government services better fit with different social media tools. The roles of e-government services in the adoption of social media in government are understudied and little is known about social media use in small local governments. This research addresses these research gaps by exploring the relationship between different types of e-government service and social media adoption by small local governments. It also explores how these small local governments use social media. Drawing from e-government and social media literature, it offers hypotheses by focusing on the relationship between e-government service characteristics and the adoption of Facebook and Twitter in the context of small local government. Using original survey and census data of local governments in Nebraska, it finds that transaction services are associated with the adoption of Facebook while information services are related to the adoption of Twitter.

Assessing Public Expenditures in Small Towns

Large, urban governments often provide a tremendous variety of public goods, while the expenditures of small communities usually address basic needs such as fire protection and road maintenance. However, certain small local governments dedicate significant public resources to recreation, culture, and public health services, among others. This research examines the variation in services provided by these smaller, often overlooked governments. Differences are explained, at least partially, by various community characteristics, location, and capacity. For the millions of people who reside in these communities, the findings illustrate why variations exist and what, potentially, can be done to alter expenditure levels.

Adoption of comprehensive risk management in local government

ABSTRACTIn the aftermath of large company failures in the early 2000s, there emerged a new wave of efforts to enhance risk management (RM) and control in enterprises. The normative RM model has been promoted widely to all organisations, including public sector organisations. Using survey data, this article describes and explains the diffusion and adoption of RM innovation in local government in Finland. Our survey results support the argument that if comprehensive RM is not obligatory, it is not widely used in local government. Our analysis reveals that financial constraints explain to some extent the existence of comprehensive RM in municipalities, while structural factors such as the size of municipalities do not, even though RM is slightly more advanced in larger rather than smaller local governments. Slow adoption indicates that comprehensive RM as a managerial innovation lacks immediate benefit when assessed against the efforts and costs of its introduction and maintenance.