Criteria for Good Government

Local government should be representative, responsive, efficient, flexible, and accountable. The structure of local government should be flexible enough to provide for increasing and changing needs.

Closer coordination of government is desirable.

Overlapping of functions and duplication of services should be eliminated.

Local government should guarantee every citizen:

  • Equal access of legislative and administrative processes
  • Equal and adequate service, equitable financed
  • Geographic as well as at-large representation

The structure of local government should:

  • Separate legislative and administrative functions and establish an effective set of checks and balances between the two.
  • Vest final responsibility in a chief executive to assure priority setting, long-range planning, and coordination of departments.
  • Provide for a merit system for government employees.
  • Provide for the initiative, the referendum, and the recall of public officials.

(Adopted in early 1960s; updated June 2019)