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…
By Mark Funkhouser Nearly 50 participants are seated in assigned groups and gathered in a community meeting room in South Bend, Indiana. On the screen, a virtual white board shows…
By Mark Funkhouser The congressional impasse that for a time this month held up House legislation providing funding for localities to hire and train more police officers reminds me of…
By Mark Funkhouser If you’re a climate advocate, getting the attention of local officials these days has probably been challenging despite the historic level of federal investment contained in the…
By Mark Funkhouser Millions of Americans do their part to recycle, and most would want to support ways of reducing waste through circular economy approaches. However, despite many laudable efforts…
States and localities have made huge leaps in adopting new technology during the pandemic. Now they need to harness that momentum to fuel an equitable recovery and a sustainable future….
By Mark Funkhouser In just about every conversation I have with local-government officials, they name hiring and retention of staff among their top challenges. Job postings go unanswered or receive…
In this time of unprecedented federal funding, local government officials are facing immense pressure to capitalize on the opportunity and steer their communities into an economically vibrant future. At the…