US Municipal Governments Industry Profile

Municipal governments provide services to residents, formulate, and enforce local laws, make infrastructure capital improvements, and provide local planning. The US has a combined 90,000 general-purpose governments and special districts, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

Forms of municipal government vary. In the US, most larger cities have an executive system managed by a mayor or city manager and overseen by a city council. Some smaller municipalities, especially in the eastern part of the country, are managed by a town board system overseen by a board of selectmen. Some towns in New England still decide many issues by town meetings.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for municipal services is driven by population growth and demographics of the local population. Because municipalities must operate with a balanced budget, loss of revenue results in loss of services, usually through job cuts. Cities compete with one another to attract major employers, sometimes by offering tax breaks and other incentives.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Services that municipalities provide depend partly on the size of the town or city but typically include a school system, police and fire protection, street and highway maintenance, water and sewer services, waste management, and various social services. Additional services can include municipal courts, jails, hospitals, housing, parks, libraries, colleges, public transportation, parking, conservation, airports, electricity, gas, and health and welfare services.

Public welfare as well as elementary and secondary education account for about 30% of municipal ...