On Tuesday, July 23, 2019, at the 106th Annual GRA conference, the Gruenberg award as well as awards for Most Distinguished Research, Most Effective Education, and Outstanding Policy Achievement were presented. The Frederick P. Gruenberg Award is the highest honor that the Governmental Research Association can bestow on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of governmental research during their careers. The purpose of the additional awards is “to recognize exceptional research and educational efforts regarding state and local governmental issues.”
Frederick P. Gruenberg Award
This year Samuel R. Tyler received the Frederick P. Gruenberg Award. According to the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, “In true GRA style, the Sam Tyler era has been marked by Sam’s patient, candid, objective, and cooperative style in advancing wise public policy.”
Most Distinguished Research
Bureau of Governmental Research (New Orleans)
The Lost Penny: An Analysis of the Orleans Parish Hotel Tax Structure
Most Effective Education
Citizens Research Council of Michigan (Livonia)
Statewide Ballot Analyses 2018
Certificate of Merit: Utah Foundation (Salt Lake City)
Utah Foundation Quality of Life Survey: Measuring Utahns’ Perceptions of their Communities, Personal Lives
Outstanding Policy Achievement
Bureau of Governmental Research (New Orleans)
Improving a Tax Proposal for Jefferson Parish Public Schools
Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (Nashville)
Refining Tennessee’s Criminal Statutes of Limitations
Certificate of Merit: Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (Nashville)
Good Neighbor Pledge
This year’s award presentations:
BGR’s contributions to improving a school property tax proposition
Charting a course to cooperation for greater Birmingham
Democratizing policy research through voter education