The Town of Carrboro is a finalist for the National Civic League’s annual All-America City Award, as announced by the organization on Wednesday.

A release from the local government revealed it is one of 20 finalists in the 2025 award cycle, and could be one of the 10 winners selected by a jury in the coming months. The All-America City Award is used to recognize communities of all sizes that have “outstanding civic innovation” and ensure “meaningful participation in local decision-making.”

“We are honored to be recognized as a finalist for the All-America City Award,” Carrboro Town Manager Patrice Toney said in Wednesday’s release. “Carrboro’s inclusion among the finalists underscores the town’s commitment to strengthening environmental sustainability, using inclusive community engagement to create lasting, impactful solutions.”

Carrboro is one of the smaller towns to make the finalist cut, and is one of three North Carolina communities to earn the distinction (Jacksonville and Kinston). Overall, the 20 finalists come from 12 states and range in population from 11,000 residents to nearly one million.

“Communities thrive when all residents have a voice in the policies and decisions that shape their lives,” said President of the National Civic League Doug Linkhart. “This year’s finalists are leading the way by removing barriers to participation and implementing programs that foster sustainability, resilience, and inclusive engagement.”

While the award typically centers local governments’ collaboration with their residents, this year’s theme focused on “Strengthening Environmental Sustainability through Inclusive Community Engagement.” One of the key focuses of the town’s leadership, Carrboro took several steps forward in 2024 to help its staff better achieve its sustainability goals — including hiring the town’s first chief sustainability officer, creating a Climate Action Team to better implement its climate action plan, and holding workshops to discuss sustainability and other aspects of major projects with residents.

The National Civic League said its 20 finalists were selected by an independent panel of experts, which reviewed applications based on a community’s shared vision, civic engagement, inclusiveness and equity, and other criteria. The goal, according to the organization, is to celebrate local governments’ ability to empower residents and foster engagement using their relationship-building, networking and problem-solving methods.

Carrboro will learn whether it will be a 2025 All-America City during the award’s weekend-long event in Denver this summer, where the finalists will showcase their efforts before a jury. The closing ceremony where the winners are announced will be Sunday, June 29. A full list of 2025 finalists can be found on the National Civic League’s website.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Carrboro was one of two North Carolina towns to be named a finalist. It has since been updated to add Kinston alongside Jacksonville.

Featured photo via the Town of Carrboro.

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