The 2026 LMC Awards: Celebrating What Cities Do Best

You see it every day: the colleague who goes above and beyond. The project that quietly transformed your community. The leadership that kept things steady when it mattered most.

The LMC Awards Program is your chance to make sure that work doesn’t go unnoticed.

Whether you’re a mayor, council member, administrator, or city staff member, the awards program is a meaningful way to recognize colleagues and peers who go above and beyond and to share your city’s success stories statewide.

Ways to Recognize Excellence in Your City

The LMC Awards spotlight excellence in three key areas:

• City of Excellence Awards: for cities demonstrating exceptional programs and results in categories that matter most
• Individual Awards: celebrating elected and appointed leaders whose service and leadership set a high bar
• Sustainable City Award: recognizing cities advancing sustainability through participation in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program

A Topical Award That Matches the Moment

In addition to the traditional City of Excellence population categories, the LMC Awards Program includes a special topical category each year, designed to highlight work that reflects emerging trends or shared challenges across Minnesota cities.

For the 2026 awards, our topical category is “Creative Use of Limited Resources,” recognizing cities that have delivered meaningful results through ingenuity, collaboration, and smart stewardship of constrained budgets, staff time, or infrastructure. Whether your city has stretched every dollar for maximum impact or found new ways to deliver services with limited capacity, this category is a terrific way to spotlight how resourcefulness has strengthened your community.

Nominations for the 2026 awards are open now through April 20, and we encourage you to submit deserving people and projects.

Inspiration From 2025 Winners

Here’s a look at the leaders and cities recognized in 2025:

Leaders Making a Difference

• Circle Pines Mayor Dave Bartholomay — C.C. Ludwig Award (Elected Official of the Year)
  After more than three decades of service in local government — including terms on council and as mayor of Circle Pines — Dave Bartholomay was honored for his collaborative leadership and steady stewardship through change. His work to strengthen council-staff relationships and prioritize long-term planning has helped Circle Pines navigate growth while maintaining a strong sense of community.
• Woodbury Mayor Anne Burt — Emerging Leader Award
  As mayor of Woodbury, Anne Burt was recognized as a rising leader whose thoughtful decision-making and community-centered leadership helped shepherd major initiatives in planning, infrastructure, and civic engagement. Her commitment to listening and building consensus has strengthened trust and delivered results for residents.
• Peyton Mastera — James F. Miller Leadership Award
  Dilworth’s city administrator, Peyton Mastera, earned this prestigious leadership award for being a forward-thinking administrator whose strategic problem-solving and organizational leadership advanced key priorities in economic development, service delivery, and regional collaboration.

View videos of the 2025 LMC Award Program winners.

Cities Creating Lasting Value

• City of Lanesboro, City of Excellence Award (Under 5,000 Population Category)
  Lanesboro’s innovative community programming, economic development initiatives, and creative use of partnerships earned statewide recognition. Projects that expanded tourism while preserving local culture showed how small cities can deliver big results.
• City of Mounds View, City of Excellence Award (5,000-29,999 Population Category)
  Mounds View’s award celebrated its commitment to resident engagement and operational innovation, including efforts in public safety, sustainability, and fiscal stewardship that strengthened city services and civic trust.
• City of Savage, City of Excellence Award (30,000+ Population Category)
  Savage stood out for impactful initiatives related to community development, parks and trails expansion, and inclusive public engagement that enhanced quality of life and supported long-range goals.
• City of Wyoming, City of Excellence Award (2025 Topical Category)
  Recognized for its thoughtful planning and demonstrated outcomes, Wyoming’s work in infrastructure, community wellbeing, and collaborative governance positioned it as a model of effective local government.

Sustainability in Action

• City of St. James, Sustainable City Award
  St. James was honored for its commitment to sustainability through participation in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program. The city’s efforts to reduce energy use, invest in green infrastructure, and engage residents in environmental stewardship exemplify how sustainability can be woven into everyday municipal operations.

Ready to Nominate?

Visit the LMC Awards page to learn more about eligibility and nomination criteria, explore past winners, and submit your nomination by April 20.

Every city has impactful stories to tell. Don’t miss this opportunity to highlight your team’s work and inspire innovation in local government!