Membership Dues

The chief administrative officer (CAO) is also known as city manager, town administrator, or county executive. The assistant chief administrative officers (ACAOs) is also known as assistant managers and deputy managers.

Read the frequently asked questions about joining ICMA »

These featured benefits are included with an ICMA membership:

View all benefits

The ICMA Executive Board directed the organization's Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee (GAPC) to produce annual policy white papers, depending on resources available and the topics that require a managerial perspective.  ICMA and the GAPC select key policy issues to which ICMA members bring an important perspective and produce white papers on these issues for general release to ICMA membership, other Big 7 organizations, and the general public.

ICMA's Policy Papers

• Blockchain Technology: Local Government Applications and Challenges (November 2018) 
• Public-Private Partnerships (P3s): What Local Government Managers Need to Know (December 2017)
• Infrastructure Financing: A Guide for Local Government Managers (January 2017)
• Municipal Bonds and Infrastructure Development - Past, Present and Future (August 2015)
• Leveraging Local Change: The States' Role (May 2014) 
• Management's Perceptions of Annual Financial Reporting White Paper (December 2013)
• Striking a Balance: Matching the Services Offered by Local Governments with the Revenue Realities (December 2012)
• Coping with Crisis: How are Local Governments Reinventing Themselves in the Wake of the Great Recession? (December 2011)
• 211/311: Is There a Case for Consolidation or Collaboration? (July 2010)
• Measuring the Results of Economic Stimulus Investments: Local Government Leading the Way (October 2009)
• Restoring the Intergovernmental Partnership: What Needs to Change(July 2009)
• Immigration Reform: An Intergovernmental Imperative (December 2008)
• A Networked Approach to Improvements in Emergency Management (August 2006 with April 2009 update)
• Emergency Management and Homeland Security (An Overview) (August 2006)

Other White Papers

• Navigating the Fiscal Crisis: Tested Strategies for Local Leaders (January 2009)
• Navigating the Fiscal Crisis: An Introduction for Elected Officials (2009)
• A Proposal for an Intergovernmental Policy Council 
  This proposal was created by ICMA and with the support of NACo and NLC.  The proposal outlines ideas on how to rebuild the intergovernmental partnership between the federal, state, and local governments.

As a whole generation of baby boomers begins to retire, we in local government are searching for energetic learning-oriented younger workers and talented second- or third-career older workers. Public service is a wonderfully fulfilling career for a number of reasons:

1. Meaningful, Challenging Work

Local government service is inherently meaningful because our work is related to building and improving communities. Police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and building inspectors keep us safe. Engineers and public works staff build and re-build the physical infrastructure. City and county planners help envision and shape future community growth. Recreation, arts and culture, and library professionals enhance community life. City, town, and county management takes the aspirations of residents and the policy goals of the elected governing board and puts those aspirations and goals into action.

Public service at the local level is also fulfilling because employees see the fruits of their labors. On a daily basis, local government employees see street and other infrastructure improvements; new buildings coming out of the ground; safety improvements; and happier, more fulfilled children, families, and senior residents.

Public service at the local level is also challenging work. The efforts of local government workers happens in the context of local government, where everyone gets to participate, and everyone has a say.

Every day presents new challenges, new problems, and lots of stimuli.

2. Financial Benefits

Local government service offers salaries that are now competitive with the private sector and benefits that are often better. Public agencies need employees with all kinds of talents, skills and occupational interests. Below are samples of positions and recent salaries offered by an average small-to-mid-sized city or county:

As you can see, local government offers employment in many, many disciplines.

3. Steady Demand for Services

Another reason to consider a career in local government is that the public needs, wants, and demands services. Residents typically do not ask their local government to reduce library, police, or fire services; public works; utilities; park and recreation; or other programs.

While local government may have to cut programs from time-to-time because tax or other revenues decline, the demand for services remains steady.

4. Learning Abounds

Local governments operate in a very dynamic environment. Changing resident demands, new federal and state laws and regulations, technology advances, demographic changes, new value trends, and other societal forces often make technical skills obsolete. Consequently, local governments need agile learners who are eager to pick up new ways of doing business or delivering services. Simply put, we are looking for young people and second- and third-career people who provide "learn-how" as well as "know-how" to our public organizations.

5. Plenty of Opportunities

Again, longtime baby-boomer employees (born 1946-1964) are now retiring. Local government needs a new generation of younger workers as well as those considering second or third careers. Consider local government if:

• You want meaningful and challenging work.
• You want to make a difference and build and improve communities.
• You want a competitive salary and good benefits.
• You are interested in learning.

Come join us in making a difference in your own backyard!

Nominations Open March 31, 2025—April 25, 2025

Honorary membership in ICMA is awarded to an individual outside of the profession of local government management because of his or her distinguished public service and contributions to the improvement and strengthening of local government. 

Individuals eligible for Honorary membership include, but are not limited to, academic leaders, elected officials, and civic leaders. Criteria include:

• Contributions to strengthening the structure of local government.
• Leadership in increasing citizen understanding of the governance and management of local government.
• Initiatives that brought about improvement and development of local government managers.
• Programs, writing, or general career contributions that have enhanced the responsiveness and effectiveness of local government.

In summary, the candidate must have made a considerable contribution either to the improvement of local government and local government management or to the public's understanding and appreciation of responsive and well-managed local government.

A nomination for Honorary membership can be made by any voting member of ICMA and should be e-mailed to awards@icma.org. See the list of past recipients, including the 2022 recipient: Alison McKenney Brown (Lakewood, Colorado).

Honorary Membership Nomination Form 

Honorary membership is conferred by a vote of ICMA Corporate members, and nominations are solicited annually in the spring. In June, a vote of the ICMA Executive Board determines which nominee or nominees will be proposed to members for formal acceptance by a vote of the membership. Recipients are honored during the ICMA Annual Conference.

Contact Joyce Lee, senior program manager, at 202/962-3625 or jlee@icma.org with questions or for more information.

Transparency is the principle of allowing those affected by administrative decisions to know about the resulting facts and figures (e.g., the city budget) and about the process that resulted in those decisions. Transparent governance means that government officials act openly, with citizens’ knowledge of the decisions the officials are making. Availability of information on government policies and actions, a clear sense of organizational responsibility, and an assurance that governments are efficiently administered and free of systemic corruption are important components of transparent governance.

Transparency is a fundamental element of abolishing corruption. Transparent governance is important to local governments and the communities they serve because corruption threatens good governance, leads to the misallocation of resources, harms public and private sector development, and distorts public policy. Controlling corruption is only possible when government, citizens, and the private sector cooperate to ensure transparency.

ICMA has worked with local governments and counterpart associations around the world to promote improved local government transparency and accountability. ICMA believes that to ensure transparency at the local level, several different stakeholders must exercise oversight and control. These stakeholders include state and national-level agencies that allocate resources and audit the municipal governments. Municipal governments themselves must implement internal controls and monitoring mechanisms, such as performance measures and a code of ethics. In addition, the creation of mechanisms to enable citizens to provide input to, and receive feedback from, local governments is a critical component of transparent local government.  ICMA works in the following areas to promote transparent governance.

Public Administration Reform

ICMA’s work in public administration reform has included developing a typology for classifying the financial performance and institutional capacity of municipalities in El Salvador, providing assistance in mitigating corruption and developing a code of ethics for two Albanian municipalities, providing anti-corruption training of trainers in Kazakhstan, assisting Polish local governments with transparent and accountable financial management, and advising the government of Montenegro on legislation to promote decentralization and transparency in public administration.

Local Government Transparency

The tools for addressing local government transparency include adequate information flow, strong civil society, effective and transparent financial management systems, and procurement regulations that keep the bidding process fair and open. ICMA’s work in local government transparency has included supporting implementation of legislation that promotes transparent procurement processes in Montenegro, designing and implementing the Municipal Transparency Evaluation System (SETRAMUN) in Mexico, and assisting the World Bank Institute with a course presentation on municipal integrity systems.

Government and Ethics Enforcement

ICMA plays a special role in ethics enforcement for local governance. ICMA adopted its first code of ethics in 1924. Since then, principle-based management philosophy has become an integral part of ICMA membership identity. New members sign a statement confirming that they have read, and agree to abide by, the ICMA Code of Ethics. ICMA consistently and vigorously enforces this code of ethics, investigating 20–30 complaints each year. The ICMA model of member code of ethics implementation and enforcement has been adapted by other associations, and is gaining increasing worldwide attention from local governments and the organizations that represent them. ICMA’s work in ethics regimes has included assisting the Mexican Association of Municipalities (AMMAC) to host a “Transparency and Code of Ethics” workshop, designing an Ethics Reference Guide for local government associations in developing and transitional countries, assisting the Slovak City Managers Association to adopt a code of ethics, and providing a municipal association in El Salvador with model ethics manuals and other documents translated into Spanish.

Open Budget Process

ICMA has undertaken numerous projects to help local governments develop open, transparent budget processes that incorporate citizen participation. For example, under the USAID-funded Building Institutions through Good Governance (BIGG) program in Indonesia, ICMA is working collaboratively with local governments to implement performance-based budgeting and increase citizen participation in the budget process. ICMA has also managed a Resource Cities partnership with the city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, that incorporated the design of transparent systems for fee collection and tracking revenues that conform to international accounting standards.

Transparent Service Delivery

Used effectively, citizen participation and pressure from community-based organizations are critical in battling corruption in service delivery and ensuring local government accountability. ICMA has worked to promote transparent service delivery in Albania, where the Resource Cities partner has provided technical assistance to the city of Tirana to eliminate illegal construction by codifying building regulations and developing a transparent permitting system; in Montenegro, where ICMA has conducted public hearings and citizen surveys to solicit citizen input into local government service delivery; in Kazakhstan, where ICMA has launched three pilot councils for economic development that identify priority projects for the local government; and in Bulgaria, where the Resource Cities partner has assisted the city of Veliko Turnovo to undertake a transparent and participatory decision-making process to determine priority projects for the city.

Public-Private Partnerships

ICMA operates a Corporate Partnership Program, which establishes effective and enduring public-private partnerships between local governments and the private sector. All private sector Corporate Partners must sign and adhere to the ICMA Corporate Partner Code of Ethics. This code of ethics sets forth principles that govern the conduct and actions of ICMA Corporate Partners. In another public-private partnership, ICMA has worked with Microsoft and the government of Bolivia to establish an electronic services platform, EnlaredMunicipal, that generates useful, strategic information and services, such as online auctions, to help Bolivian municipalities better respond to the needs of their citizens. Microsoft has donated special software for the auction to Enlared, and the government of Bolivia has created the legal framework necessary for this type of activity.