Municipal Benchmarks provides an external context in which to examine local government performance. David Ammons guides municipal executives, department heads, management analysts, mayors and city council members, and citizen groups through the benchmarking tools needed to assess and establish community standards for their operations and delivery of services. The second edition of this practical reference book has been revised to include: updates charts and data; expanded coverage including newly adopted performance targets and updated standards for emergency response times for fire, police, and emergency medical service; new chapters on: management services, parking services, risk management, social services, streets, sidewalks, and storm drainage, water and sewer services, fleet maintenance, gas and electric services; The author contrasts United States national standards developed by professional associations with actual performance targets and performance.
David Ammons joined the School of Government (then the Institute of Government) in 1996. Prior to that, he was a faculty member at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia and taught in the public administration programs at Georgia and the University of North Texas. Early in his career he served on the staffs of four municipalities-Fort Worth, Texas; Hurst, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona; and Oak Ridge, Tennessee-in various administrative capacities. Among his seven books on local governmentmanagement are Municipal Benchmarks: Assessing Local Performance and Establishing Community Standards (Sage Publications, 2001); Leading Performance Management in Local Government (ICMA, 2008); and Tools for Decision Making: A Practical Guide for Local Government (CQ Press, 2009). Ammons earned a Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma
Introduction Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Animal Control City Attorney City Clerk Courts Development Administration Emergency Communications Emergency Medical Services Finance Fire Service Fleet Maintenance Gas and Electric Services Human Resource Administration Information Systems Library Management Services Executive Offices, Budget, Management Audit Parking Services Parks and Recreation Police Property Appraisal Public Health Public Transit Public Works Engineering and Miscellaneous Services Purchasing and Warehousing Risk Management Social Services Solid Waste Collection Streets, Sidewalks and Storm Drainage Traffic Engineering and Control Utilities Business Office Water and Sewer Services Performance Milestones
"For officials who would like to benchmark their government's performance to external norms and standards, but who lack the resources to do it, I believe this book will prove itself as a valuable resource, both for the large amount of actual performance data included and for the quality of analysis of the indicators themselves. . . . Many helpful reference tools are provided." * GOVERNMENT FINANCE REVIEW * "The book is a tremendous contribution to the public management profession. David N. Ammons has included all of the salient service benchmarks that will finally give academicians and practitioners alike a reference document for assessing municipal functional performances. I hope that the information will be updated often." -- Sylvester Murray
