Chair                                                        Vice-Chair
                                                                                             
                      Tzeitel Paras Caracci                                      Don Slesnick
                           Councilmember                                                Mayor
                         Duarte, California                                    Coral Gables, Florida

Background

The purpose of NLC’s work on Democratic Governance is to help local officials respond to governance challenges. Drawing on case studies of successful projects, the Panel has explored ways to educate, involve, and mobilize citizens in a variety of events and initiatives. The Panel’s research and written materials describe how communities have used democratic governance approaches to address key issues such as:

• Planning and development;
• Race, diversity, and equity;
• Crime and public safety;
• Education and school improvement; and
• Public finance.

Recent activities and products of the Panel include:

• Publication of The Rise of Democratic Governance: How Local Leaders are Reshaping Politics for the 21st Century, an introductory guide to Democratic Governance.
• Publication of Changing the Way We Govern: Building Democratic Governance in Your Community, a detailed guidebook on democratic governance practices, including examples from cities around the country.
• Production of a Powerpoint Presentation, Democratic Governance: The Art of Civic Engagement for local officials to use in spreading the word about democratic governance at state and local conferences and meetings.
• Conducting workshops and seminars that assist city and town officials at NLC conferences and as part of NLC’s Leadership Training Institute Program.

Activities and Agenda

• Hold workshops and seminars for local officials at the 2008 Congress of Cities and Exposition in Orlando, Florida.
• Encourage and enable city officials to enhance democratic governance by articulating and delivering a strong, compelling message, using a variety of venues.
• Work with state municipal leagues and other networks to reach out to a broader array of local officials.
• Work with the Deliberative Democracy Consortium on the Democracy Helpline and other key services for local leaders.

Next Meeting of the Panel

November 11-15, 2008 Congress of Cities and Exposition in Orlando, Florida

2008 Participating City Officials

Evelyn Turner Pugh, Councilmember, Columbus, GA (Advisory Council Representative)
Katie Ogden, Youth Delegate, Tualatin, OR (Youth Representative)
Georgette White-Moon, Councilmember, Tuskegee, AL
Marie Lopez Rogers, Mayor, Avondale, AZ
Joanna Ward, Mayor, Hercules, CA
James Taylor, Mayor, Littleton, CO
Joe Rodriguez, Alderman, New Haven, CT
Scott Brook, Mayor, Coral Springs, FL
Donald Rosen, Asst. Deputy Mayor, Sunrise, FL
Sylvia Lovely, Executive Director, Kentucky League of Cities, Lexington, KY
Henrietta Davis, Councilmember, Cambridge, MA
Tomiko Gumbleton, Councilmember, Ferndale, MI
Robin Beltramini, Councilmember, Troy, MI
Kevin Frazell, Director, Member Services, League of Minnesota Cities, St. Paul, MN
Rodney Locks, Councilmember, Brevard, NC
Nancy Carter, Councilmember, Charlotte, NC
Robert Stancil, City Manager, Fayetteville, NC
Jacquelyn Johnson, Councilmember, East Orange, NJ
Donald A. Saunders, Councilmember, Bedford OH
Lou Ogden, Mayor, Tualatin, OR
Mary Clark, Mayor, Camden, SC
Doug Echols, Mayor, Rock Hill SC
Bo Perkinson, Vice-Mayor, Athens, TN
Mary Alice Cisneros, Councilmember, San Antonio, TX

For more information about the Panel, membership, or its activities, please contact:
 
Chris Hoene or Bill Barnes                                                  Matt Leighninger
National League of Cities                                                   Deliberative Democracy Consortium
1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW                                       1050 17th St. NW, Suite 701
Washington, D.C. 20004                                                   Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 626-3000                                                                  (905) 972-0550
hoene@nlc.org or barnes@nlc.org                                    mattleighninger@earthlink.net