Each year, Polco is proud to celebrate local governments with the Best in Governance Awards, the nation's only awards program honoring communities for both resident experience and measurable outcomes. These awards shine a light on the jurisdictions that stand out as the most effective, innovative, and community-centered across the country, as measured through national data.
Over the past several weeks, we've celebrated the Top Performers in every category. Today, we're proud to name the National Champions, the highest-scoring organization in each award, nationwide.
Champions were recognized for Excellence (the highest ratings or outcomes) and Transformation (the biggest improvement over time), drawing on three perspectives: the Voice of the People (resident feedback from The National Community Survey and excellence in digital engagement, using tools like pulse surveys, priority-setting exercises, and budget simulations.), Community Impact (public-data outcomes from Polco's Government Performance Action Lab), and — new this year — the Voice of Employees (local government staff, via The National Employee Survey).
Congratulations to every one of these organizations. Here are your 2026 National Champions.
Trust in Government
- Voice of the People — Excellence: Town of Davidson, North Carolina
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of Bozeman, Montana
See the Trust in Government Top Performers →
Community Connection
- Voice of the People — Excellence: City of Decatur, Georgia
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of La Vista, Nebraska
See the Community Connection Top Performers →
Community Design
- Community Impact — Excellence: Town of Palm Beach, Florida
- Voice of the People — Excellence: City of Shoreview, Minnesota
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of South Lake Tahoe, California
See the Community Design Top Performers →
Economy
- Community Impact — Excellence: Town of Nolensville, Tennessee
- Voice of the People — Excellence: City of Naperville, Illinois
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of Buckeye, Arizona
See the Economy Top Performers →
Education, Arts & Culture
- Community Impact — Excellence: City of Mountain Brook, Alabama
- Voice of the People — Excellence: City of Suwanee, Georgia
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of Fate, Texas
See the Education, Arts & Culture Top Performers →
Health & Wellness
- Community Impact — Excellence: City of Carmel, Indiana
- Voice of the People — Excellence: City of Coral Gables, Florida
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of Redlands, California
See the Health & Wellness Top Performers →
Mobility
- Community Impact — Excellence: City of Urbana, Illinois
- Voice of the People — Excellence: Town of Telluride, Colorado
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of Kearney, Missouri
See the Mobility Top Performers →
Natural Environment
- Community Impact — Excellence: City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska
- Voice of the People — Excellence: City of Shoreview, Minnesota
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of Shakopee, Minnesota
See the Natural Environment Top Performers →
Parks & Recreation
- Community Impact — Excellence: Fairfax County, Virginia
- Voice of the People — Excellence: City of Gulf Breeze, Florida
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of La Vista, Nebraska
See the Parks & Recreation Top Performers →
Safety
- Community Impact — Excellence: City of Muskego, Wisconsin
- Voice of the People — Excellence: Town of Needham, Massachusetts
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of Santa Cruz, California
See the Safety Top Performers →
Utilities
- Community Impact — Excellence: City of Trussville, Alabama
- Voice of the People — Excellence: Town of Estes Park, Colorado
- Voice of the People — Transformation: City of San Marcos, Texas
See the Utilities Top Performers →
Resident Engagement
Voice of the People, Excellence in Reaching residents
- Civic Catalyst: City of Lake Elmo, Minnesota
- Community Reach: City of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
- Power of Engagement: City of Coral Gables, Florida
See the Top Performers →
Voice of the People, Excellence in Weighing trade-offs together
- Priorities in Action: City of San Marcos, Texas
- Schools of Thought (Prioritize): Denver Public Schools, Colorado
- Schools of Thought (Simulation): Anchorage School District, Alaska
- Trust Through Transparency: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, California
See the Top Performers →
Organizational Culture
- Voice of Employees — Excellence: City of River Falls, Wisconsin
See the Organizational Culture Top Performers →
Celebrating All of This Year's Champions
From the highest resident ratings to the biggest year-over-year gains — and, this year, the voices of the public servants themselves — these National Champions represent the very best in local government. Congratulations to every organization recognized in 2026. You set the standard for what good governance can look like.
Learn more about the Best in Governance Awards and how your community can take part.
