County Government

How Cities Are Addressing Mental Distress

Successful programs include partnerships between social workers and first responders, incorporate data and recognize larger social factors affecting health and well-being, like racism, experts say.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

One County Will Give $76 Million in ‘Hero Pay’ to Public Employees for Covid Response

Most full-time workers in California’s Santa Clara County will receive $2,500 bonuses, all paid for with the county's federal Covid-19 relief allotment.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Taking Race Out of Criminal Charges

Prosecutors in Yolo County, California, are attempting “race-blind charging” by using software to redact identifying information, including race and other descriptors, from police reports.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

New Survey Finds Differences in How Local Agencies Adopt Software

The poll of over 800 local government officials looks at trends with how departments are embracing specialized software and how satisfied they are with it.

  • By Bill Lucia

County Judge Bans Elf on the Shelf ‘Tyranny’ as ‘Gift To Tired Parents’

Cobb County, Georgia Superior Court Judge Robert D. Leonard II, in a blistering decision, banned the elf, a stuffed toy that serves as a lookout for Santa around the world.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

The 'Great Resignation' is an Opportunity for Local Government to Create Purpose for Employees

COMMENTARY | The nature of work has changed. Purpose-driven strategic plans can build purpose for workers across an organization.

  • By Greg Stopka

'An Absolutely Fascinating' Local Government Job

Coroners operate "in the shadows of local government" and their profession is misunderstood. Longtime coroner Dotti Owens explains why "this is my thing."

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Local Leaders Beg for 'Substantial State Assistance, Immediately' to Combat Illegal Marijuana Farms

An Oregon county declared a state of emergency and is requesting $750,000, 45 new employees and the National Guard, which officials say is necessary because the illegal businesses are running rampant, depleting resources and spiking crime.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Cracking Cold Cases: Police Turn to Podcasts to Track Down Killers

Law enforcement officials say that department-sponsored podcasts—free, easy to download and available on demand—are perfect for disseminating information. (America’s true-crime obsession doesn’t hurt.)

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Governments Face Soaring Costs Burying Poor and Unclaimed Dead

Individual burials can be $2,000. The costs have increased dramatically during the pandemic, with some communities turning to federal aid to help cover the expense.

  • By Liz Farmer

State and Local Government Beats out Federal in Survey of Citizen Trust

Digital services had a strong impact on whether residents found governments trustworthy, according to the report from Deloitte.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Advancing Local Emergency Response 20 Years After 9/11

One of the biggest lessons to come out of the terrorist attacks was the importance of regional cooperation and training in emergency preparedness, experts said.

  • By Andrea Noble
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Counties and States Embrace Fentanyl Test Strips in Battle Against Opioids

Arlington County, Virginia announced that it would begin distributing the strips to addiction-prone people leaving the county jail, the latest in a growing number of government agencies to turn to the tests as a way to prevent overdoses.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

One City’s Inventive Plan to Spark Employee Collaboration, Loyalty and Retention

Each of the five analysts hired as a team in San Rafael, California, will be based in a different department, but they’ll train and work together on special projects.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

'Vaxfluencers' Getting Residents to Get the Shot

Public health agencies are paying local Instagram and TikTok celebrities to promote Covid-19 vaccines, a relatively new outreach strategy that, so far, seems to be working.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

How ARPA Funds Can Help Build an Equitable Recovery

A report released Tuesday provides guidance for state and local spending of the federal recovery funding on programs that focus on equity and provides examples of city and county plans.

  • By Jean Dimeo

Full FDA Approval of Pfizer Vaccine Prompts Swift Mandates for State, Local Government Workers

Following approval for the vaccine, some leaders across the country immediately tell public employees and college students to get vaccinated now.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

The Plantation and the Pizza Hut: A Suburban County Reconsiders Its History

Fairfax County, Virginia wants to add unheard voices to its story. That will require changing the way it gathers and evaluates historical information.

  • By Tom Shoop

Now Available at the Local Library: Basketballs, Air Fryers and Taxidermied Animals

Libraries across the country are diversifying their collections with objects, a growing trend known as the “Library of Things” that aims to help residents learn in new and different ways.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

How Governments Can Best Manage Federal Relief Funds

COMMENTARY | There are a lot of challenges to spending the $350 million allocated to states and localities, but effective centralization and standardization can better ensure economic recovery.

  • By James Ha

Confusion Over How Latest Eviction Ban Will be Enforced

About 80% of counties are covered by the moratorium, but a change in local coronavirus transmission rates will affect eligibility.

  • By Andrea Noble