Alumni Today
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

Urban studies alumnus makes career of city life

What paved roads were to transportation, the Internet will be to better relationships between citizens and their local governments, predicts Andrew Young School alumnus Jim Calvin.

Calvin (bachelor of science in urban life, '72; master of public administration, '76), executive director of the Georgia Municipal Association since 1995, foresees a time when citizens can not only get instant information about city services through the World Wide Web, but also pay their utility bills and taxes using the technology.

"I think the Internet will change the way government interacts with people more than anything else has in the last century," says Calvin, who also served as city manager of Toccoa for 14 years. "Unfortunately, it's not happening fast."

More than half of Georgia's cities remain unconnected to the information superhighway, and less than 20 percent have their own municipal web sites, he adds.

Still, local governments' slowly evolving efforts to reach out to citizens using the new medium apparently symbolizes a larger trend. Municipal officials are trying harder than ever to anticipate and react quickly to the public's needs and expectations, Calvin says.

"I think people are concentrating a lot more on responsiveness to their citizens," says Calvin, whose organization is composed of more than 470 city governments in Georgia. "Public officials are much better educated, much better informed about their responsibilities."

Created in 1934, the Georgia Municipal Association is a voluntary, non-profit organization that provides legislative advocacy, educational programs, employee benefits information and technical consulting services to its members. Among other things, the group keeps track of public perception of government - and the results often spur action designed to help reduce people's skepticism that government always acts in the best interests of its people.

Last year, the association created a "Certified City of Ethics" program, developed by a panel of business and government leaders, that encourages cities to adopt and adhere to a set of key ethical principles and a comprehensive ethics ordinance. The ordinance guides city officials' conduct in areas such as financial disclosures, conflicts of interest and outside employment, and contains strong penalties - including public reprimands, fines and removal from office - for city officials who violate its guidelines. About 40 cities have adopted GMA's model code of ethics in the past year.

GMA also has begun recognizing the state's best-managed, most livable cities with its new "Georgia City of Excellence" designation. Recipients are chosen by an independent panel of business, media, academic and government leaders. Entrants are judged on their fiscal management, public safety, infrastructure, citizen participation, cultural activities, community partnerships and downtown viability.

Calvin originally started his studies at Georgia State in 1965, but was drafted into the U.S. Army and left college for a tour of duty in Germany. He was re-admitted to the university in 1969.

"When I came back, I was much more serious and I decided that I was going to try to make a difference, and maybe help change some things for the better," says Calvin, a native Atlantan. "Here at GMA I really enjoy it because we get to influence what goes on in cities all over the state and encourage them to achieve at a higher level."

Photo above: CITY SENSE: Andrew Young School alumnus Jim Calvin directs the Georgia Municipal Association, a voluntary, nonprofit organization representing 470 city governments.