Explainers, documented success stories, issue deep dives, step-by-step guides and current analysis — all sourced, all non-partisan.
A non-partisan guide to confirmed local ballot measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot: LA charter reform, Bay Area transit taxes, St. Paul tenant rights.
A non-partisan guide to confirmed local ballot measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot: LA charter reform, Bay Area transit taxes, St. Paul tenant rights.
As of September 2026, cities from Portland to Chicago are closing large budget gaps for fiscal year 2027. The confirmed numbers, the cuts and what to do.
How cities plan for extreme heat: heat action plans, chief heat officers, cooling centers, tree canopy and cool roofs, what works and who benefits.
A non-partisan look at 2026 federal funding changes hitting cities: the OMB grant rule rewrite, appropriations cuts and sanctuary-city litigation.
Boston's 2021 Question 1 gave the City Council power to amend the mayor's budget and created an Office of Participatory Budgeting. Here is what changed.
How civilian police oversight works: review boards, auditors and investigative agencies, city examples, the powers that matter, and arguments on both sides.
How city budgets work: where local revenue comes from, operating vs. capital budgets, the budget calendar, public hearings and how to read a city budget.
How to file a public records request: federal FOIA vs. state laws, finding the records officer, a sample request letter, fees, deadlines, appeals, and MuckRock.
As of 2026, cities use AI for chatbots, permitting, translation and cameras. What is confirmed, where it fails, and the questions residents should ask.
How local transit is funded, why agencies face a post-pandemic fiscal cliff, what recent ballot measures and state rescues did, and the service tradeoffs.
How to write to your congressman or city council: email, letter, and call templates, what staff actually do with your message, and a clear do/don't table.
A non-partisan look at how mayors elected in November 2025 are governing in 2026, from New York and Seattle to Detroit, and what their first year shows.
Plain-English explainers on cities, counties, school boards, budgets and the rules that decide who can do what.
5 articles
Documented cases where organized residents changed a local decision — what they did, and what it cost them.
5 articles
Balanced analysis of the issues that dominate council agendas: housing, transit, policing, heat, short-term rentals.
5 articles
Step-by-step instructions with copy-ready templates: speaking at a meeting, starting a petition, filing records requests.
5 articles
What is happening in American local government right now, with sources and without spin.
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