City Manager Unfiltered

Audree Guzman was hired into her first city administrator gig at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Less than a year later, she would be forced to deal with another historic event that rocked her community.  In this episode, Audree and I discuss the trials and tribulations she faced down in her first city administrator gig in small town Kansas. We also discuss the impact a mentor had on her and...

In Part 2 of my interview with Sam Toles of CiviSocial, we discuss keyboard warriors and social media terrorists. I offer up my distinction between the two and urge elected officials to exercise more discernment when evaluating online attacks. We discuss the outsized impact of the minority, whether they are truly engaged and participating in the process, and how spineless elected officials can sen...

Sam Toles is a social media expert having worked for large entertainment companies like Bleacher Report, MGM, and Warner Music, as well as Vimeo. He was also served as an elected councilmember for the California community of Cathedral City. He is passionate about social media and the public sector, but believes that most communities across the country are doing social media wrong. That is why he l...

Patton Township Manager Amy Farkas is passionate about recruiting more women and minorities into the profession of city and county management. In this episode, we talk about the importance of "telling a better story" to attract these candidates. We also discuss her unique approach to dealing with the stresses of the job through her hobby and what benefits she has been able to transfer over into he...

In the third and final installment of my interview series with Castle Pines City Manager Michael Penny, he shares his views on the recruitment and performance review processes and puts forth the idea that the American Association of Municipal Executives can assist city and county managers by influencing how these events are structured. Penny argues that candidates currently have little say in the...

Why did the ICMA create the credentialed manager program and does it measure competency? We discuss these issues and more in part 2 of my interview series with Castle Pines, Colorado city manager Michael Penny. Penny, who is a founding member of the American Association of Municipal Executives, has also been a member of the ICMA since 1995.  He has been actively involved with the ICMA credentialin...

Castle Pines city manager Michael Penny isn't your ordinary ICMA member. He currently serves as the chairman of the ICMA's Credentialing Advisory Board (CAB) and has been a member of the organization since 1995. So, why did he join the American Association of Municipal Executives as a founding member and how does he see both organizations co-existing? Penny has also been on both sides of the ICMA...

For a variety of reasons listed in this podcast, the sign up deadline to become a founding member of the American Association of Municipal Executives has been extended. You have until midnight central on Thursday, July 25th to take action and join this historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is the last call -- so sign up here today . We have the following membership plans: Executive Suite...

A confidential source sent me an audio recording of ICMA West Coast Regional Director Pat Martel discussing the American Association of Municipal Executives. This discussion took place two weeks ago at the Oregon City/Count Management Association conference.. In this audio clip, Martel states that the ICMA is very much aware of the AAME, that it supports the AAME mission, and that it is perfectly...

Last week the big news story was the announcement by the ICMA that CEO Marc Ott was retiring to spend more time with family. We also learned that Port Huron City Manager James Freed was given a trial date for his defamation lawsuit against the ICMA. Coincidence? These two stories are inextricably linked and are the topic of this week's podcast episode. SHOW NOTES: In this podcast I mentioned that...

Marilyn Rivers had a stellar career and an impeccable reputation having served for nearly 20 years as the Director of Risk and Safety for the New York city of Saratoga Springs. About 18-months away from this 20-year mark where she would be eligible for her pension, a newly elected commissioner set his sights on her to settle an "old score" from fifteen years ago. Rivers wanted to do this podcast b...

ICMA CEO Marc Ott has presided over an organization that is dysfunctional, lacks accountability, and produces mediocre work product.  His permissive and absentee approach to managing employees allowed ethics staffers to prosecute a personal and political vendetta against Port Huron City Manager James Freed -- a stain that will be forever left upon his legacy. Combined with an international develop...

Rainier City Administrator Scott Jorgensen is no fan of the Oregon City/County Management Association (OCCMA). A few years ago, he was the subject of an anonymous ethics complaint without any clear explanation of his alleged offense. About a year later, Jorgensen learned that another city manager had accused him of leaking his listserv comments.  The evidence was a conversation between this city m...

We continue our conversation with Polson, Montana city manager Ed Meece in Part 2 of our interview series.  In this episode, Ed talks about: ✅ a new state association for Montana city managers that is not affiliated with the ICMA, ✅ a conversation he had with ICMA CEO Marc Ott and Ray Baray, his chief of staff, and ✅ why he is so excited about the new American Association of Municipal Executive...

In 2015, city manager Ed Meece did something he never thought he would do. He canceled his International City/County Management Association membership twenty-five years after joining the organization. What happened? Meece explains his reasoning in Part 1 of this two-part series. SHOW NOTES: Ed Meece's LinkedIn page AAME JOB BOARD: The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job boa...

Baker Tilly has been bad -- again.  Recently, yours truly dropped a bombshell about Baker Tilly when he appeared as a guest on the Making Sense with Michael J. talk show in Amarillo, Texas. We discussed the Amarillo city manager recruitment and the consulting contract Baker Tilly landed to help review their charter. Host Michael Stevens graciously allowed me to replay the interview on the podcast....

Public sector executives need to steal some pages out of the private sector executive playbook when it comes to compensation, benefits, and negotiating contracts. Attorney Daniel Reilly has extensive experience in negotiating private and public sector executive contracts. Licensed to practice law in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, we discuss industry norms, tactics, and practices that should be co...

Unhappy with the current direction of the International City/County Management Association, El Cajon City Manager Graham Mitchell decided to get involved and run for a seat on the executive board. In previous years when he only saw one name on the ballot for each seat -- he assumed it was due to apathy. Little did he know that the ICMA establishment created a process whereby they hand-selected the...

A lot of people self-proclaim themselves to be "change agents" or transformational leaders who have changed their department or organization's culture. But a lot of this is fluffy, self-promotion meant to stroke the ego. How many public sector executives have actual, quantifiable data to support these claims? Durango, Colorado city manager Jose Madrigal is a truly transformative leader and he has...

Over the last 18 months I have highlighted the plight of city managers and other public sector executives. I have talked about the pervasive sense of loneliness and isolation that is oftentimes overwhelming. I have lamented the lack of advocacy for managers who watch helplessly as the reputation and career they have spent decades building is sullied and damaged. When I have criticized the ICMA for...

Texas attorney CJ Grisham and his client, Jason Followell, were removed from an Aransas Pass city council meeting under the threat of arrest after they both used profane language and violated the rules of decorum during a public comment period. Since that January incident, Grisham has filed a lawsuit (see link below in the show notes) on behalf of Followell and the Aransas Pass police chief has ch...

Taylour Tedder's groundbreaking contract in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware was the talk of the city management community last week. His contract features a $750,000 home loan that is completely forgivable after 7 years of service. Bradley Ford, the city manager for Waco, Texas, sat down with me to review and critique this amazing contract. Ford, the foremost expert when it comes to public sector executi...

Change my mind: Troy Body has the toughest city manager job in the country! The Hopkinsville, Kentucky manager also has one of the most unique backgrounds in the profession. Oh! By the way -- he is the only black manager in the state. You are going to enjoy this interview as we learn more about why he transitioned into local government and his thoughts on accountability and delivering results at t...

Going to battle against your public safety deparment heads can be extremely perilous for a city manager, especially when you have a politically connected and entrenched police chief. City Manager Theo Melancon was tasked with doing an operational assessment of the police departmenty by his council. In Part 2 of my interview series, Theo outlines the process and approach he took to carryout the wis...

City manager Theo Melancon was arrested on a domestic violence charge in January 2022. Unfortunately for him, his predecessor also made controversial headlines surrounding a domestic incident. In this powerful episode, Melancon gives us a play-by-play recounting of the events that upended his life and nearly ended his career. We talk about his communication with his elected officials, handling the...