Local Government Sustainable Development: A Theoretical Paradigm or a Plan for Action?

• In Event: Governmental Financial Reporting

Abstract

Local governments are a vital component in the national effort to promote sensible methods for community development, growth and social justice. The benefits and challenges of sustainable development have become apparent as more local governments initiate programs to address economic, environmental and social equity issues. This research investigates county and municipal government efforts toward sustainable development using survey information for local governments in the southern United States. The responses were analyzed to examine the contention that local governments are forced to trade-off between the various elements of sustainable development. This analysis also examined whether local governments “practice what they preach” in terms of actually implementing the sustainable policies proclaimed to be important to their operations. In addition, the analysis explores the impact of population size, geographic area and form of government on sustainable development. Overall, results suggest that while local governments rate economic policies as their most important goal, this does not preclude a balanced focus including environmental policy and social justice issues. In terms of placing these goals into action, results suggest this to be the case for both environmental policy and social justice issues. Measuring the implementation of sustainable policies in terms of dollars, however, proves difficult because there is no consistency among municipalities with regard to reporting the amount of dollars (federal or local) spent in support of sustainability efforts.

Authors

• Pamela Jean Strickland, Methodist University

• Janet F Phillips, Southern Connecticut State University