by William H. Woodwell Jr.

Religion. Income and class. Race and ethnicity. Gender. Disability. Sexual orientation. These are the fault lines in American society today ? and they are not going away. Public debates around everything from tax policy and immigration to gay marriage and abortion continue to divide Americans into opposing camps.

Many of America?s leaders are not leading, they are dividing. Can local elected officials help to heal the breach?

The members of the NLC Advisory Council think so, and they are working with NLC First Vice President James Hunt, councilmember from Clarksburg, W.Va., to frame an agenda that makes ?inclusive communities? a priority for NLC and municipal leaders.

Gathering in Denver, the Advisory Council developed a set of core principles and definitions that will guide Hunt?s work when he becomes NLC president at the end of this year.

?The issue here is us vs. them,? Hunt told the group. Right now, he said, there are too many ?thems? in America ? people who are excluded or discriminated against because they are different. The challenge for local elected officials, he added, is to build communities where everyone has an opportunity to succeed and become involved in local decision making.

Hunt suggested that cities and towns apply an ?inclusiveness meter? to their work ? judging municipal policies and programs according to whether they include or exclude local residents.

From zoning and housing laws to economic development practices, are cities and towns favoring certain groups of residents at the expense of others? Or are they giving everyone a fair and equal voice?

Advisory Council members agreed that inclusive communities are shaped by the personal views of residents and local leaders.

They are communities where every person is viewed as an asset and where local elected leaders model inclusive principles and values in their work and daily lives.

Hunt told the Advisory Council that he had been inspired by the group?s work on the ?Undoing Racism? topic under former NLC President Bob Knight. Another important influence was the ?Divided We Fall? agenda put forward by former NLC President Charles Lyons. Advisory Council members also noted the many connections between the issue of inclusiveness and other topics that the group has worked on over the years, from land use to community-building.

Advisory Council members agreed that it takes courage to make inclusiveness a priority and that local officials risk antagonizing established interests and others who like things the way they are.

?Addressing this issue should be at least a little uncomfortable, or we probably aren?t moving forward,? said Advisory Council Chair Steve Burkholder, mayor of Lakewood, Colo.

Yet the Advisory Council agreed that the greatest risk lies in doing nothing.

?This is about the kind of future we want for our communities, and we need courage to ask tough questions,? said Advisory Council Vice Chair Cynthia McCollum, councilmember from Madison, Ala.

The Advisory Council will be preparing a Futures Report on the inclusiveness topic for release at the Congress of Cities in December.

The group also will be working with Councilmember Hunt to develop ideas and a framework for NLC?s work on the topic during 2006 and beyond.

In other activities, the Advisory Council discussed next steps on the topic of economic vitality, which was the focus of a two-day forum that preceded the group?s meeting in Denver.

Economic vitality first emerged as a focus topic for NLC during the Advisory Council?s ?trends and changes? work in 2003 and 2004.

During the Denver meeting, Advisory Council members suggested ideas for workshops at the Congress of Cities, news articles and Web content and other activities to keep the economic vitality issue front and center among the nation?s local leaders.