Read Mayor Funk’s advice for smaller cities and towns on how to cultivate authentic, homegrown economic development.
Newsletter
By Mark Funkhouser I recently had the pleasure of participating in the 12th annual Municipal Finance Conference, which showcased the latest research on municipal finance by market stakeholders, regulators and…
Many job-seekers look for meaningful, challenging careers where they can make a positive impact on society. But career options in public service — and especially in local government — often are overlooked.
By Mark Funkhouser When our kids were young, the neighborhood park was the center of me and my wife Gloria’s social life. A large group of us met there so…
A year ago, Funkhouser & Associates teamed up with the Drucker Institute’s Lawrence Greenspun to test a new idea in South Bend, Indiana.
By Mark Funkhouser Even before Congress provided unprecedented financial aid to help offset the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was doling out more than $1 trillion each year to…
By Mark Funkhouser In my January newsletter, I described five reasons I’m feeling optimistic about local government. This month, I’d like to introduce you to three new mayors whose stories…
By Mark Funkhouser As a longtime auditor and then a big-city mayor, I’ve been called a lot of things, but being a Pollyanna is not one of them. If…
By Mark Funkhouser A resurgence of violent crime during the pandemic has magnified the intense focus on law enforcement sparked in May 2020 by the murder of Geoge Floyd. Rates…
By Mark Funkhouser For many of us, the Thanksgiving holiday is all about food and family. But for a growing number of Americans, sitting down to a table brimming with…