NLC Wrapped: Top Resources of 2025

The Trump-Vance Administration moved swiftly to enact President Trump’s agenda through existing federal programs across all federal agencies, including those that directly support local governments with grant funding, technical assistance and other resources.

To advance the President’s agenda, the Executive Branch used existing presidential authority to enact policy changes that do not require the approval of Congress. The Presidential Actions Summary resource explores the executive action impacts to cities, towns and villages.

Most recently updated in December 2025, executive actions are accompanied by members-only fact sheets that provide more in-depth detail to help local leaders stay informed of the latest developments.

NLC’s 40th annual City Fiscal Conditions report offers a comprehensive snapshot of the financial health of U.S. municipalities as they transitioned from pandemic recovery to fiscal restraint.

Drawing on data from 263 cities and in-depth analysis of 213 city budgets, the report highlighted how inflation, policy uncertainty and shifts in federal aid reshaped local government finances.

NLC’s 12th annual State of the Cities report identifies the unique challenges and opportunities facing cities, towns and villages across the United States. The report offers a comprehensive analysis of community priorities in 2025 such as economic development, infrastructure, budget and management,  housing, public health and safety.

Sometimes, the most powerful form of support is simply being there. A mayor’s presence in schools — reading to students, attending events, mentoring youth — helps build trust, foster community connection and signals that education is a civic priority. 

A Mayor’s Guide to Supporting K12 Education offers guidelines on how mayors can get started playing an active role in their community, as well as tips for ongoing success.

Significant increases in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), cloud computing and other digital services is driving greater demand for the physical infrastructure that supports these services and technologies. Data centers are the unseen backbone of our digital economy, yet their presence and impacts, both positive and negative, are often overlooked in local governance discussions.

The Understanding Data Centers fact sheet provides a foundational understanding of data centers, the first in a three-part fact sheet series designed to help policymakers begin these discussions related to sustainability, zoning, infrastructure and more.

What happens when a city government chooses to prioritize young children, their families and the early childhood workforce?

That’s the question answered by the Decades in the Making toolkit, which highlights how four cities — Boston, MA; Hartford, CT; Jacksonville, FL; and Seattle, WA — paved the way for early childhood success in their communities.

NLC has a biannual agenda aligned with the congressional cycle to guide local advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. NLC’s 2025 Federal Action Agenda highlights federal priorities such as streamlining federal programs for all communities, increasing the nation’s housing supply and more.

The Municipal Infrastructure Conditions 2025 report offers a comprehensive, data-driven examination of the state of municipal infrastructure across the United States. Based on a nationwide survey of local governments, this comprehensive report revealed the top infrastructure priorities, challenges and strategies shaping cities, towns and villages today.

Designed to support cities, towns and villages as they navigated the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history, the local official checklist provides steps local officials can take in the event of a federal shutdown to reassure vulnerable residents and mitigate the impact on local budgets.

NLC created a 2025 Transition Memo for the first 100 days of the Trump-Vance Administration. The memo featured a detailed set of local government priorities, tools and shared values to help grow and strengthen the intergovernmental partnership between cities, towns and villages, the White House and federal agencies.