Reshaping Local Government
Informed citizenship key to thriving communities

“Mize’s ‘First Nine’ – Morgan County Baseball Team – 1914” read the headline on the magazine cover. There in the accompanying photograph stood nine young men. And there was my grandfather, 28 at the time, sporting a mischievous grin.

The article noted how every little town across Kentucky had a baseball team. Those motley teams – consisting mostly of young farmers – were the pride and joy of their communities. Teams traveled from small town to small town, likely never venturing beyond a circle larger than 30 to 50 miles.

I marveled at seeing a picture of my grandfather so young. The picture reminded me of the effects of time – not only on us, but also on our small towns. These little communities were once vibrant magnets for all the people who lived around them. Even though many of them were in a rural setting, they represented “city” life. They were the places where people were born, lived and died, where the baseball team was big news, where meaning was found in connection to home and to each other.

Now, many of Kentucky’s towns – and most of those in the heartland – are in trouble. The reasons are many, such as the mobility people now have to leave and pursue greater opportunity elsewhere, the shifting economic structure and, in particular, the death of the small farm. But there are other, more subtle factors. Our towns are dying because of our lack of interest in community life in general. Engagement in community building has entered a new era – one in which enhancing all the virtues of small-town life coexists with a community that is wired into the global economy and attuned to smart growth that creates opportunities to grow and prosper.

The alternative is not a pretty one. Dying towns can signify the death of a satisfying connection to others, leaving us isolated and uninspired. What we need is a state legislature that pays more attention to helping cities and towns in Kentucky thrive. Instead, our legislative sessions tend to focus on local governance issues, city versus county power struggles, and how much (or little) trust can be placed in the hands of local people. We need to encourage a partnership between state government and local governments to remake and reshape how we build community.

Perhaps many of our little towns will die, much like the gold rush towns of the 1890s. But it is also true that we haven’t tried very hard to consider their worth and what it would really take to restore them. There are endless possibilities. For instance, a six-year economic development plan could be enacted that divides the state into regions of interest and identifies the character of towns and what role each town would play within its region. Most of all, however, it would take a courageous step by state leaders – a recognition that a new kind of state and local partnership is called for in these changing times.

The pendulum has swung too far away from local decision-making. The answer lies in reactivating the principles of local autonomy and informed citizenship. There needs to be a more equitable sharing of power between citizens and their government – and in particular, between elected leadership at the local level and elected leadership at the state level.

Whether the subject is homeland security issues or taxing or smoking bans, decisions should be left to local citizens through their representative government whenever possible. There must be a sharing of meaningful knowledge and power that includes local governments. It’s time we find leaders committed to creating vibrant cities and towns that are connected to the larger world through technology – and whose people feel a sense of empowerment, connection, and neighborly concern for each other.

Sylvia L. Lovely is executive director and CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities.
editorial@lanereport.com

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