by Laura Sweeney

Each time Terry Christianson drives down Main Street and sees the freshly painted curbsides, he?s proud that his work for the Bluffton, Ind., Street Department helps make his community more attractive.

Chris Rainwater, city manager for Espa?ola, N.M., willingly got out of bed in the wee hours of a Sunday morning to help evacuate the city?s Police Department and Detention Center during a flood, since he considers his work a ?calling,? not just a job.

Mayor Brad Collins is willing to work long hours to make sure everyone in Morehead, Ky., has affordable, quality housing, since he knows personally what it feels like to grow up without it.

Peggy Quillman, a library specialist in Palo Alto, Calif., arrives early to do all the behind-the-scenes work at her library, content in knowing it will be ready for book lovers when they arrive each day.

As Americans recognize workers this Labor Day, NLC is highlighting the integral role played by these men and women in our cities as well as the more than 3.5 million municipal employees who make their communities more livable.

Inspired by the efforts of NLC President James Hunt, councilmember, Clarksburg, W.Va., to increase the awareness of the services provided every day by local government elected officials and municipal employees for their communities, the ?why cities matter? message calls attention to this under-recognized work force by encouraging local and national reporters to feature municipal employees in their Labor Day remembrances.

?With all the attention being paid to the anniversaries of Hurricane Katrina and the Sept. 11 disasters, the role played by our local governments is crystal clear ? without them, we cannot survive as a nation; without them, the people in our cities and towns couldn?t get to work on time, would have to figure out how to dispose of their own trash, would have no voice in how their communities function,? said Hunt. ?What better day than Labor Day to honor these unsung heroes??

Hunt?s father was a public works employee for the City of Clarksburg. ?A good part of my childhood was influenced by his work,? Hunt said. ?He drove heavy equipment and with the severe winters in our area, he was out many a Christmas morning making sure that others were able to get around the city.? 

Hunt noted that most citizens don?t realize all the work, time and energy that make America?s cities run. Seven out of every 10 Americans living in a city or town benefit daily from the work municipal employees and local elected officials do on their behalf, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but many don?t stop and think about how the work actually gets done.

Citizens put their trash on the curb, but who picks it up and makes sure the city is free of debris and litter? Residents request the latest best-seller from the library, but who makes sure the book is purchased and tells the patron their book is ready for pickup? Kids enjoy spending a sweltering day at the local pool with their friends, but who makes sure it is clean and lifeguards are trained and ready to supervise? Busy commuters make their way to work on buses, in cars and on foot, but who drives the buses, puts new light bulbs in traffic lights and fills potholes in summer heat?

Life without municipal employees is hard to imagine when considering the responsibilities facing cities. Municipal workers, many of whom have dedicated their entire careers to public work, often go the extra mile to improve the quality of life in their communities.

This includes people like Harold ?Pee Wee? Lakeman, personnel director in Madison, Ind., who initiated youth summer athletic leagues so generations of Madison?s kids would have organized sports leagues to play in while on summer break.

Local Officials Work 24-7
For local elected officials, these jobs and responsibilities don?t end when they leave the office. Often, a trip to the grocery store or a little league game can turn into an impromptu constituent meeting.

And in today?s fiscal climate, the task of running and maintaining a city has only become more difficult for local officials. Every day, municipal leaders and workers are forced to do more with less. In 1977, federal funds accounted for 15 percent of most local budgets; in 1997, that was down to 5 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Yet, as cities struggle to balance budgets while providing all the services their communities need, the trash collectors, librarians, afterschool program directors, city council members and millions of other municipal employees continue to show up for work every day, ready to perform the jobs that are so collectively vital to the health and character of a community.

Elected officials play a critical role in ensuring the communities they represent are providing the services their citizens need.

?We face our citizens every day, good news or bad,? said Hunt. ?We usually can?t finish a meal at charity events because we are discussing potholes or abandoned cars with our constituents. But we come back, day after day, because we believe in the power of local government and we know the impact it can have on our communities.?

Fast Facts on America?s Cities and Towns

? More than 218 million citizens make their homes in America?s cities and towns.

? Waste disposal personnel collect more than 236 million tons of garbage each year.

? During this year?s Pothole Blitz in New York, 30 city transportation crews filled 1,200 potholes with 90 tons of asphalt?each day.

? In 2002, the combined expenditures for all municipalities was more than $376 billion dollars.

? The cost for equipment, such as a helmet, hood, fire-resistant coat and boots, for one firefighter is $3,200.

? Public libraries spent approximately $1.1 billion in FY03 to purchase books, magazines, periodicals and other research materials.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Environmental Protection Agency, City of New York, Iowa League of Cities and National Center for Education Statistics