Like many communities throughout the Centralina region, the City of Albemarle is anticipating significant growth in the coming years. City leaders want to ensure they have the staff capacity and capability needed to continue providing high-quality public services to the community’s growing population. They also recognize the need for a long-term, strategic approach to making staffing decisions. To support Albemarle in this effort, Centralina Regional Council recently conducted an organizational study to aid the city in developing a five-year staffing plan. 

As communities across the nation wrap up observations of Public Service Week, we take time to recognize the essential contributions of local government employees: the planners, public works staff, emergency responders and administrators who keep our communities functioning. Yet behind the scenes of public service, many of these professionals face an increasingly common and troubling challenge: citizen incivility.

It’s important for local governments to use their money wisely and plan for the future. But as communities grow and change, it can be hard to meet all their needs with limited resources. That’s where Centralina Regional Council comes in. Our facilitation services, like helping with strategic planning and budget retreats, support local governments in making smart decisions and staying focused on their goals…

Centralina is revising the City of Locust’s land use plan to provide a roadmap that will serve the city and its residents for the next 20 years. On April 12, 2025, our staff attended an event hosted by the City of Locust to form a connection with community stakeholders and develop an understanding of the community’s needs. By taking advantage of an existing community event, we were able to meet more residents and have a casual conversation about their priorities…

ARPA reporting season is upon us and as a reminder, all local governments that received State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) must submit reports to the US Treasury by April 30, 2025. For many local governments, this ARPA reporting period will cover activity from April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025. Here are a few tips and reminders to consider as you prepare to submit this report…

At home, Centralina Regional Council is taking a proactive approach to advocating for our region and supporting local governments in their own advocacy efforts. In a recent Centralina Learns, we invited our consultants to share tips for productive federal and state advocacy and engagement with local government staff…

Recognizing that human resources professionals could benefit from additional support as they navigate recruitment, retention and other personnel-related issues, Centralina sought to create a peer networking opportunity for these staff. Our objectives for this effort were to gain a better understanding of the issues affecting human resources professionals, share insights to help address common challenges, identify additional resources to support their work and build peer connections.

In response to the North Carolina Helene Disaster Declaration, Centralina Regional Council has partnered with High Street Consulting to provide expert guidance on the intricate and challenging post-disaster Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance recovery process.

Strategic planning is necessary for any organization’s success, but going through the process can be daunting and demanding for local government staff. As part of Centralina’s meeting facilitation services, we offer help with strategic planning that will reenergize your staff and encourage productive discussions to ensure your goals are met.