Small Cities Council

The Small Cities Council (SCC) is open to municipal officials from member cities with populations of 50,000 or less. Participants share ideas and creative solutions to challenges affecting small cities.  Small Cities make up 80 percent of NLC membership.

The objectives of the council are 

• To be recognized as the voice and advocate for small cities 
• To serve as a resource for municipal officials from small cities 
• To recruit more small cities to become NLC members 
• To ensure that Council members are well-informed about the NLC and can be effective spokespersons about the role of small cities in NLC 

• To connect small cities to key NLC advocacy and policy development efforts 

NLC’s member networking councils bring together leaders from communities that are similar in size, type, or another important characteristic. The councils provide a space for local leaders to network and exchange ideas around issues of importance to the varying types of communities. 

Leadership: 

Chair: Mayor Jan Arbuckle, Grass Valley, CA

Vice Chair: Mary Welch, Councilwoman, Grandview, TX

Vice Chair: Gabrielle Nelson, Councilwoman, Port Wentworth, GA

Membership 

The group meets in person at NLC’s Congressional City Conference and City Summit. There is a summer meeting that rotates each year and is hosted by the council chair’s municipality. There is no extra cost for NLC members to join SCC. To join or for more information, please email membership@nlc.org.   

Leadership nominations for the council are solicited every fall and their term begins at City Summit by the group’s membership.