American Hometown Renewal ─ Policy Tools and Techniques for Small Town Officials

American Hometown Renewal features a blend of theory, applications and case studies. The text combines administrative, budgetary and economic analysis to examine the dimensions of economic and fiscal plight that are presently facing America’s small towns. Until now, there has not been a comprehensive, single-source text covering the key issues facing small town officials in today’s uncertain economy.

The primary theme throughout the book is that towns are spatially fixed. Local small town officials, whether their town is located in suburbia or in rural America, have three specific policy choices to make their town’s economic orbits competitive. In an attempt to make the town more competitive, local officials can spatially rearrange a town’s land uses (planning and capital budgeting policy), re-arrange the town’s scope and range of municipal services (public goods and services budgetary expenditure policies) or provide changes in tax incentives (budgetary revenue policies).

The author’s background includes 15 years as a former public manager, as well as 20+ years of experience as a college professor teaching students in the professions of city management, economic community development and city planning, all while serving as a consultant to numerous small towns in the Heartland.