The city of Gladstone has been named one of the 10 winners of The National Civic League’s 2008 All-America City Award. It received the honor June 13 at a ceremony in Tampa, Fla.

Gladstone was one of 17 finalists for the award, which recognizes communities that identify and successfully tackle community-wide challenges. Gladstone was the only city in metropolitan Kansas City to be named a finalist this year.

City leaders who traveled to the awards presentation last week gave a 10-minute presentation on Thursday to a panel of public and civic affairs experts, which decided the winners. Their presentation focused on Gladstone on the Move, a citizen-based group that identified long-range goals for the city.

The group, which was formed in 2003 with assistance from the National Civic League, recommended a property tax increase to pay for a second ambulance service and several public improvements. It also sought the extension of a sales tax to pay for a new community center.

Voters passed both measures in 2005. Besides the ambulance service, the property tax has paid for improvements to the city’s outdoor swimming pool. And the community center opened earlier this year.The panel also commended Gladstone for Also cited was a neighborhood revitalization program, which had been recommended by Gladstone on the Move. That program helped several neighborhoods form neighborhood associations.