best practices

Spring is here - the flowers are blooming, the birds are hatching, and labor negotiations are in progress or about to get underway in your communities.  For many, the negotiation process has become relatively routine and is well-understood.  But, as with the Right To Know law and its application to employee personnel records, interpretations of law regarding collective bargaining that were thought to be well-settled have been recently taken up by the New Hampshire Supreme Court and interpreted in a way that has significantly changed our understanding of post-impasse dispute resolu

When municipalities get caught off guard by a ransomware attack, they sometimes see paying the ransom as a way out. It’s not a pretty option, but it’s (supposedly) a way to get your data back in a worst-case situation.

However, cybersecurity experts and law enforcement officials have warned for years that paying a ransom is not the right decision for many reasons:

Now that election season is over and we are reaching the summer months, it is unfortunate yet inevitable that some towns may experience vacancies in their elected positions. Local officials can unexpectedly resign, move out of town or even pass away, leaving their position vacant and in need of replacement. The process for filling a vacancy can depend on how the vacancy came about and what position has been left vacant. This article will cover some of the basics when it comes to vacancies.

Three recent decisions by the U.S Supreme Court address local government operations that touch on the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment.

One year after George Floyd’s murder sparked a national conversation about policing and race and millions worldwide to march in the streets in opposition to police violence, local leaders have responded. In the last year, the National League of Cities have helped local elected officials and their communities to pursue anti-racist policies and programs not only on public safety but in several policy areas.  

Municipal officials are often asked to explain to constituents the mystery around unreserved fund balance. Questions abound surrounding this complex topic, especially during the development of the budget and the annual meeting process. To assist the electorate in understanding unreserved fund balance, this article will explain the function of fund balance in government while keeping the citizen perspective in mind.