The Data Bulletin

How to Judge a Local Government

105 ways residents size up a city or county, in 11 groups, each with the kind of evidence behind it and where that evidence can come from.

What Counts as Evidence

"Source" here means an authoritative measurement framework, dataset, standard, or survey that shows where the data for a measure can come from.

DirectPrimarily administrative or quantitative data.
PartlyQuantitative evidence plus qualitative judgment.
IndirectPrimarily surveys, assessments, or proxy indicators.

The List at a Glance

Measures by group and kind of evidence

How many of the 105 measures fall in each group, and how much of each group rests on hard records versus judgment or surveys.
DirectPartlyIndirect

Where the data comes from

The frameworks and datasets cited most often across the list. One measure can cite more than one.

The 105 Measures

Everyday Services

12 measures
  1. 1
    Trash and recycling Direct
    collection, complaint, cost, and recycling records; ICMA local-government benchmarks include solid waste.
  2. 2
    Road maintenance Direct
    pavement inspections, work orders, spending, and FHWA Highway Performance Monitoring System.
  3. 3
    Sidewalks and accessibility Direct
    asset inspections, repair records, ADA complaints, and ADA Title II standards.
  4. 4
    Water and sewer service Direct
    utility operating records and EPA's Safe Drinking Water Information System.
  5. 5
    Stormwater and flood control Direct
    drain inspections, flood reports, damage records, and the infrastructure indicators in ISO 37120.
  6. 6
    Street lighting Direct
    municipal asset inventories, outage records, energy bills, and the city-infrastructure framework in ISO 37120.
  7. 7
    Snow, debris, or vegetation removal Direct
    route completion, work orders, response times, and complaints documented under an ICMA performance-measure methodology.
  8. 8
    Parks and recreation Direct
    attendance, acreage, condition inspections, spending, and ICMA local-government benchmarks.
  9. 9
    Libraries and community centers Direct
    visits, programs, circulation, staffing, hours, and the federal Public Libraries Survey.
  10. 10
    Public transportation Direct
    service, ridership, efficiency, cost, and reliability data in the National Transit Database.
  11. 11
    Permits and licenses Direct
    permitting systems, backlogs, fees, and processing times; permits and plan review are included in ICMA benchmarks.
  12. 12
    Digital services Direct
    completion rates, usage analytics, accessibility tests, and the World Bank's GovTech Maturity Index.

Safety and Public Health

9 measures
  1. 13
    Police response Partly
    dispatch and incident records through ICMA benchmarks, supplemented by the DOJ Community Survey on Public Safety and Law Enforcement.
  2. 14
    Fire and emergency medical services Direct
    response, incident, casualty, staffing, and apparatus data in NERIS.
  3. 15
    Crime prevention Partly
    reported offenses and clearances in the FBI Crime Data Explorer, plus perceived safety in the DOJ community survey.
  4. 16
    Traffic safety Direct
    deaths, crashes, road users, and contributing factors in NHTSA's FARS.
  5. 17
    Emergency preparedness Partly
    capability targets, gaps, exercises, and time-based performance through FEMA's THIRA and Stakeholder Preparedness Review.
  6. 18
    Public-health protection Direct
    locally comparable health outcomes, prevention, disability, and social-needs indicators in CDC PLACES.
  7. 19
    Building and code enforcement Direct
    inspections, cases, violations, and resolution rates in ICMA benchmarks.
  8. 20
    Homelessness response Partly
    HUD's Point-in-Time count, HMIS, housing inventory, prevention spending, and system-performance measures described in the HUD performance plan.
  9. 21
    Animal control Direct
    dispatch, licensing, bite, shelter-intake, adoption, and complaint records structured with an ICMA performance-measure methodology.

Taxes and Financial Management

10 measures
  1. 22
    Tax fairness Partly
    tax and revenue distributions in the Census state and local finance data, supplemented by resident surveys such as the LGA satisfaction survey.
  2. 23
    Utility rates and fees Direct
    billing systems, household burdens, delinquency, and government revenue data in the Census finance survey.
  3. 24
    Value for money Indirect
    standardized resident questions in the LGA benchmarking guidance and operational cost comparisons through ICMA.
  4. 25
    Budget priorities Partly
    spending by function in the Census finance survey, compared with stated priorities and resident surveys.
  5. 26
    Financial stability Direct
    revenue, expenditures, debt, assets, and reserves in the Census finance survey.
  6. 27
    Spending efficiency Partly
    service cost and output comparisons using ICMA benchmarking.
  7. 28
    Procurement quality Direct
    bids, competition, contract changes, and audit controls; procurement is included in ICMA benchmarks, with controls defined by the GAO Green Book.
  8. 29
    Capital-project management Direct
    budgets, schedules, change orders, asset condition, and GFOA capital-planning guidance.
  9. 30
    Audit performance Direct
    audit opinions, findings, repeat findings, and corrective actions under the GAO Green Book.
  10. 31
    Long-term financial planning Partly
    revenue, expenditure, debt, and fund projections under GFOA long-term planning guidance.

Leadership and Governance

9 measures
  1. 32
    Leadership competence Indirect
    resident assessments of reliability, responsiveness, fairness, integrity, and openness in the OECD Trust Survey framework.
  2. 33
    Strategic direction Partly
    documented goals, indicators, targets, and results using ICMA performance management.
  3. 34
    Political stability Partly
    vacancies, turnover, delayed decisions, meeting records, and governance perceptions measured through the OECD Trust Survey.
  4. 35
    Interdepartmental cooperation Partly
    shared-project results, referrals, processing delays, and staff assessments under the GAO internal-control framework.
  5. 36
    Regional cooperation Partly
    agreements, shared projects, joint funding, and governance indicators in the UN-Habitat City Prosperity framework.
  6. 37
    State and federal coordination Direct
    grant awards, compliance, mutual-aid agreements, and capability assessments under FEMA's National Preparedness System.
  7. 38
    Workforce quality Partly
    vacancies, turnover, training, productivity, and ICMA human-resource benchmarks.
  8. 39
    Continuity Direct
    service interruptions, performance trends, and target attainment across years using ISO 37120.
  9. 40
    Adaptability Partly
    service improvements, innovation, public feedback, and evidence use in the OECD Trust Survey framework.

Transparency, Ethics, and Accountability

9 measures
  1. 41
    Government transparency Partly
    public information availability, open-data access, and openness questions in the OECD framework.
  2. 42
    Clear communication Partly
    readability, timeliness, reach, and public understanding; the OECD framework includes clear explanations of reforms.
  3. 43
    Open decision-making Partly
    meeting notices, agendas, public access, participation records, and the OECD openness measures.
  4. 44
    Ethical conduct Partly
    disclosures, investigations, confirmed violations, undue influence, and corruption perceptions in the OECD integrity framework.
  5. 45
    Accountability Partly
    corrective actions, oversight findings, and control monitoring under the GAO Green Book.
  6. 46
    Performance reporting Direct
    indicator definitions, targets, frequency, data ownership, and results through the ICMA methodology template.
  7. 47
    Independent oversight Partly
    audit independence, findings, monitoring, and corrective actions under the GAO Green Book.
  8. 48
    Election administration Direct
    registration, ballots, voting methods, election operations, and local-jurisdiction comparisons in the Election Administration and Voting Survey.
  9. 49
    Public-records access Direct
    local request logs measuring volume, age, fees, denials, appeals, and completion time; openness is also covered by the OECD framework.

Responsiveness and Public Participation

9 measures
  1. 50
    Customer service Partly
    transaction surveys, wait times, and satisfaction; Performance.gov shows a government customer-experience measurement model.
  2. 51
    Response times Direct
    311, case-management, work-order, dispatch, and help-desk timestamps; ICMA benchmarks include response-time indicators.
  3. 52
    Problem resolution Direct
    cases resolved, reopened, repeated, or overdue; the World Bank provides citizen-engagement and grievance indicators.
  4. 53
    Request tracking Direct
    case status, update frequency, digital access, and completion records; digital citizen feedback is included in the World Bank GovTech index.
  5. 54
    Public participation Direct
    attendance, submissions, participant characteristics, and resulting decisions; measured in the OECD framework.
  6. 55
    Quality of public meetings Partly
    meeting access, notice, timing, accommodations, participation, and attendee surveys under OECD openness and voice measures.
  7. 56
    Listening and follow-through Partly
    documented responses and policy changes plus survey questions about voice and feedback in the OECD framework.
  8. 57
    Neighborhood engagement Direct
    meetings, contacts, neighborhood coverage, participation, and the World Bank's citizen-engagement indicators.
  9. 58
    Complaint and appeal processes Direct
    complaints received, resolution times, unresolved cases, satisfaction, and appeals in the World Bank's grievance indicators.

Fairness, Inclusion, and Accessibility

9 measures
  1. 59
    Geographic equity Direct
    services, spending, infrastructure, and outcomes mapped against neighborhood demographics from the American Community Survey.
  2. 60
    Equal treatment Partly
    outcomes by demographic group plus perception questions on consistent and fair treatment in the OECD framework.
  3. 61
    Consistent enforcement Direct
    warnings, citations, penalties, inspections, and resolution times; code-enforcement measures appear in ICMA benchmarks.
  4. 62
    Procedural fairness Partly
    notice, opportunity to respond, appeals, and survey assessments; the DOJ identifies voice, neutrality, respect, and trust in its procedural-justice framework.
  5. 63
    Disability access Direct
    facility and digital audits against ADA Title II and WCAG 2.1 AA requirements.
  6. 64
    Language access Direct
    interpreter and translation records compared with local language needs in the American Community Survey.
  7. 65
    Economic inclusion Direct
    poverty, income, housing, transportation, and service access by geography through the American Community Survey.
  8. 66
    Representation Partly
    community demographics from the ACS, workforce composition from EEOC EEO-4, and resident surveys.
  9. 67
    Digital inclusion Direct
    household computer and internet access in the ACS, paired with digital-service usage and completion data.

Housing, Growth, and the Economy

11 measures
  1. 68
    Housing availability Direct
    locally authorized housing units in the Census Building Permits Survey.
  2. 69
    Housing affordability Direct
    cost burden, income, tenure, and housing problems in HUD's CHAS data.
  3. 70
    Planning and zoning Partly
    processing data, land capacity, plan review, and outcomes; planning and land-use measures appear in ICMA benchmarks.
  4. 71
    Development review Direct
    processing time, approvals, fees, backlogs, and appeals under ICMA permit and plan-review benchmarks.
  5. 72
    Growth management Direct
    population, housing, commuting, and demographic trends in the ACS, combined with infrastructure-capacity records.
  6. 73
    Economic development Direct
    employment and wages in BLS QCEW and establishments in County Business Patterns.
  7. 74
    Small-business support Direct
    establishment counts, employment, payroll, and business size in County Business Patterns, plus local program records.
  8. 75
    Job opportunities Direct
    employment and wages in BLS QCEW and job locations, industries, and worker flows in LODES.
  9. 76
    Downtown and neighborhood vitality Direct
    establishments from County Business Patterns, jobs and commuting from LODES, and local vacancy or foot-traffic data.
  10. 77
    Property values and neighborhood stability Partly
    home values, rent, tenure, vacancy, and mobility in the ACS, supplemented by resident surveys.
  11. 78
    Tourism and cultural development Direct
    local visitor, lodging-tax, and attendance records; culture is an explicit city-indicator theme in ISO 37120.

Environment and Sustainability

8 measures
  1. 79
    Cleanliness Direct
    litter audits, dumping and graffiti cases, removal times, and solid-waste indicators in ICMA benchmarks.
  2. 80
    Air and water quality Direct
    EPA's local air, water, emissions, compliance, and waste datasets in the EPA data platform.
  3. 81
    Green-space protection Direct
    GIS acreage, tree canopy, habitat, and access; green space and environmental sustainability are covered by UN-Habitat's city indicators.
  4. 82
    Waste reduction Direct
    collection tonnage, disposal, recycling, composting, and environmental indicators in EPA's Report on the Environment.
  5. 83
    Energy efficiency Direct
    utility consumption, cost, emissions, and EPA's Local Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool.
  6. 84
    Climate resilience Partly
    exposure, losses, mitigation, recovery, and capability targets through FEMA's THIRA and preparedness review.
  7. 85
    Environmental fairness Direct
    environmental conditions by location from EPA MyEnvironment, joined with neighborhood demographics from the ACS.
  8. 86
    Sustainable development Partly
    more than 100 infrastructure, productivity, equity, environment, quality-of-life, and governance indicators in the UN-Habitat City Prosperity Initiative.

Community Character and Quality of Life

9 measures
  1. 87
    Public-space quality Partly
    condition, use, safety, access, and resident assessments under the UN-Habitat Quality of Life Initiative.
  2. 88
    Arts and culture Direct
    attendance, creation, performance, reading, and arts learning in the NEA Survey of Public Participation in the Arts.
  3. 89
    Youth and senior services Direct
    participation, capacity, spending, and outcomes; youth services are included in ICMA's county-focused measures.
  4. 90
    Recreation opportunities Direct
    facilities, acreage, programs, attendance, cost, and ICMA parks and recreation benchmarks.
  5. 91
    Noise and nuisance control Direct
    noise readings, complaints, citations, repeat cases, and resolution times constructed using an ICMA performance-measure methodology.
  6. 92
    Community events Partly
    attendance, frequency, costs, and participant characteristics, supplemented by quality-of-life surveys such as the National Community Survey.
  7. 93
    Historic preservation Direct
    protected resources, condition, demolitions, restorations, and spending; cultural heritage is included in UN-Habitat's urban-indicator tools.
  8. 94
    Social cohesion Indirect
    validated survey questions on social connection, support, isolation, and belonging described by CDC.
  9. 95
    Overall appearance Partly
    property-condition and maintenance audits, supplemented by resident quality-of-life ratings in the National Community Survey.

Results and Public Confidence

10 measures
  1. 96
    Service outcomes Direct
    output, outcome, efficiency, and community indicators defined through ICMA's methodology.
  2. 97
    Reliability Direct
    failures, outages, missed services, and performance trends; standardized service indicators are defined in ISO 37120.
  3. 98
    Speed of improvement Direct
    baselines, targets, reporting periods, and trends under ICMA performance management.
  4. 99
    Use of evidence Partly
    documented data and analysis in decisions plus survey assessment; evidence-based decision-making is included in the OECD Trust Survey framework.
  5. 100
    Innovation Partly
    adoption, savings, improved outcomes, and resident perceptions; innovation is measured by the World Bank GovTech index and the OECD framework.
  6. 101
    Honesty about limitations Indirect
    communication audits, fact-checking, disclosure reviews, and OECD questions concerning explanation, openness, and trustworthiness of government information in the Trust Survey framework.
  7. 102
    Fulfillment of promises Direct
    strategic-plan commitments, milestones, completion status, and public performance reports under ICMA performance management.
  8. 103
    Public trust Indirect
    local-government trust questions in the OECD Trust Survey, National Community Survey, and LGA resident survey.
  9. 104
    Community reputation Indirect
    standardized resident satisfaction and comparative community ratings in the National Community Survey.
  10. 105
    Future outlook Indirect
    resident-expectation surveys and objective/subjective well-being measures in the UN-Habitat Quality of Life Initiative.