When small cities collaborate, big things happen! This year, I’ve seen it firsthand, while working alongside some of the smallest communities in the country and watching them turn tight budgets and big challenges into some of the most creative wins. These are leaders doing the work of ten, and through the National League of Cities’ Small Cities Council (SCC), they’ve found a network unlike any other. One where the best ideas travel city to city and no one has to solve it alone. With 40 percent of the national population living in cities with populations of 50,000 or less, this council’s voice matters. And strong leaders from small communities are essential to ensuring that their voices continue to be heard.
This article highlights how NLC’s Small Cities Council serves as a valuable network for municipal officials leading small communities. From exclusive leadership tours like our recent visit to La Grange, Ky., to having a seat at the table shaping NLC’s work, there has never been a better time for local elected officials to step up and help lead it.
Inside Our Exclusive Leadership Tour of La Grange, Ky.
This summer, during NLC’s Summer Board & Leadership Meeting in Louisville, Ky., the Small Cities Council leadership did something you can’t get from a webinar or a conference hall: we hit the road! We took a trip out to La Grange for a firsthand look at how one small city embraced one of its unique characteristics and turned it into its greatest asset.
You don’t forget your first visit to La Grange. A working railroad line runs right down the center of Main Street, trains rolling through just feet from the storefronts. Other cities might view this as a challenge. But La Grange turned it into their identity. Instead of clearing out when the train comes, people gather. It’s become a tourism draw, a gathering place and a genuine point of community pride all at once. The kind of bold, creative placemaking that gets your wheels turning about what’s possible back home.
We walked from storefront to storefront, meeting the owners of small businesses in the heart of downtown and hearing exactly how city leadership keeps downtown inviting, retains small businesses and drives foot traffic. But the real magic was in the conversation — elected officials swapping strategies, comparing notes on what’s worked and what hasn’t and walking away with ideas they could actually implement back home.
From the Tour to the Table
The tour was just the beginning. Back in Louisville, SCC leadership brought La Grange right into the council meeting, inviting a city representative to share their placemaking story with the full council and take questions from members. One morning on the ground in La Grange became a conversation that the entire council could learn from.
That’s what leadership on this council really looks like. It’s not just showing up. It’s helping shape the future of the council, the most valuable resources it delivers and how those hard-won lessons make their way back to small city leaders across the country.
Step Up and Lead
If you want a meaningful voice in NLC’s advocacy, a network of peers who understand your challenges and direct access to experiences like La Grange, now is the time to get involved through NLC leadership opportunities. Lead nationally, be at the table during key decision-making and demonstrate the significant impact small communities can achieve. Don’t watch it happen. Help make it happen by leading.
Lead with NLC
Applications for Small Cities Council leadership positions are open through Sept. 28, 2026. Log into MyNLC to apply and help shape the future of small communities or explore all available opportunities to lead with NLC.
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