For the second year in a row, Provo is named the second-best run city in America! I’m thrilled to see Provo ranked second in the nation again this year.
Creating a great city is a team sport. It requires nonprofits. It requires the educational sector. It requires forward-looking business women and men who strive to be good neighbors. And, not least, it requires engaged citizens who roll up their sleeves and get to work, not only in providing for themselves and families, but also with an eye toward the greater good. Provo has each of these assets in abundance. To each person who has touched Provo in any way, I extend my heartfelt congratulations for helping our city achieve another monumental recognition.
The announcement on WalletHub.com carried the following explanation: Running a city is a tall order. . . Leaders must carefully consider which services are most essential, which agencies’ budgets to cut or boost and whether and how much to raise taxes, among other decisions.
But how do we measure the effectiveness of local leadership? One way is by determining a city’s operating efficiency. In other words, we can learn how well city officials manage and spend public funds by comparing the quality of services residents receive against the city’s total budget.
Using that approach, WalletHub compared the operating efficiency of 150 of the largest U.S. cities to reveal which among them are managed best. Check out the full ranking here.