During this time of fiscal challenges for local governments, ICMA is committed to identifying strategies and programs that may be useful to local governments in meeting these challenges. ICMA and NLC have partnered to conduct the 2009 Economic Development Survey, which is being mailed to municipalities across the country with populations of 10,000 and over and a sample of counties. (To see if your local government is included, click here.) The survey results will provide information on practices, experiences, and policies that will be reported in several ICMA and NLC publications.  Local governments will be able to learn what’s happening across the country and explore new approaches. You can contribute to this body of practical knowledge by completing the survey.

Highlights from the 2004 economic development survey:

• The primary barriers to economic development were the availability and cost of land. 
• The majority of local governments reported a costs/benefit analysis of business incentives prior to offering them. 
• Slightly more than 80 percent of local governments measure the effectiveness of the incentives. 
• Small business incubators were offered by 29percent of responding local governments. 

You can see the results of the 2004 Economic Development survey here.