The importance of fostering transparency, leveraging technology, and maintaining a keen understanding of the local political dynamic.
Jerry Giaimis
18 A Brave New Demographic World: Depopulation and Examples from Japan
The implications of population decline for local government, especially in small and rural communities
Sarah Sieloff and Fernando Ortiz-Moya, PhD
24
Rural Community Engagement
Rural governments need a public engagement strategy before tackling policy issues.
Robert Jordan and Caden Benedict
26
City-County Relations: The Importance of Collaborating on Service Delivery at the Local Level
Establishing an environment of cooperation over competitiveness is hard work, but the outcomes can be well worth the effort.
Mark Ryckman, ICMA-CM and Ian Coyle, ICMA-CM
30 Do Residents Matter Most in Reducing Crime?
To reduce crime, you need to work with the people who own the places with crime.
Shannon J. Linning, PhD, Tom Carroll, ICMA-CM, Daniel W. Gerard, and John E. Eck, PhD
DEPARTMENTS
2 Ethics Matter!
Character and Kindness—The Keys to Civility
6 Inside ICMA
The Search for ICMA’s Next CEO
8 Veterans in Local Government Recognizing Excellence
10 Women in Leadership
A Call to Action
12 Q&A
How has the ICMA Code of Ethics helped you transition from your military career to local government management?
36 Assistants and Deputies Keeping the Momentum
38 Senior Advisors Gandalf or Yoda?
40 Tech Updates
Essential Technology Budgeting Insights
“Strive To Thrive” with Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Professional Services Directory
International City/County Management Association
Ortiz-Moya
Character and Kindness— The Keys to Civility
Pittsburgh’s street signs echo Mr. Rogers’s words to provide the inspiration we need today.
The recent natural disasters, as well as the federal election cycle in the United States, have been some of the most challenging times for local leaders, made more difficult by incivility within the community. The stress of coping with loss coupled with misinformation about hurricane relief, as well as false claims about voter fraud, has resulted in people saying some shocking and horrible things targeted at city and county officials.
is ethics director at ICMA (jcowles@icma.org).
We have been trained to remain professional and focus on problem-solving and sharing facts while refuting misinformation on social media and in public forums in a non-confrontational way. Though we strive to find common ground, hurtful language pushes it further from reach. The rhetoric we hear inflames the situation rather than defuses it, making us less effective for our communities.
Members feel the effects when civility is lacking.
One of my goals for 2024 was to meet our 13,000 members where they are to provide my unwavering support in these challenging circumstances we face.
Public Management (PM) (USPS: 449-300) is published monthly by ICMA (the International City/County Management Association) at 777 North Capitol Street. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4201. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. The opinions expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of ICMA.
COPYRIGHT 2024 by the International City/County Management Association. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced or translated without written permission.
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ARTICLE PROPOSALS: Visit icma.org/writeforus to see editorial guidelines for contributors. For more information on local government leadership and management topics, visit icma.org.
ICMA CODE OF ETHICS Established 1924 YEARS
BY JESSICA COWLES
This meant traveling to give ethics presentations and being visible in a year when this was sorely needed. This schedule took me to California; Virginia; the Northwest Regional Manager’s Conference (Alaska, Oregon, and Washington); Colorado; Indiana; Maryland; New York; South Carolina; Florida; Puerto Rico; Tennessee; ICMA’s Local Government Reimagined Conferences in Boston and Palm Desert; and then the ICMA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, where we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the ICMA Code of Ethics.
One of the themes I heard repeatedly that causes grief for many in local government is the incivility plaguing our societal discourse and the vicious criticism from those who do not recognize undisputable facts. As an example, in my last city council meeting as a town manager before joining the ICMA staff, a resident said many awful things about me personally, though I had invested much of my time to make her community organization successful and had the data to prove it.
We refuse to normalize this behavior because the nature of our positions as CAO and the way we
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Creating and Supporting Thriving Communities
ICMA’s vision is to be the leading association of local government professionals dedicated to creating and supporting thriving communities throughout the world. It does this by working with its more than 13,000 members to identify and speed the adoption of leading local government practices and improve the lives of residents. ICMA offers membership, professional development programs, research, publications, data and information, technical assistance, and training to thousands of city, town, and county chief administrative officers, their staffs, and other organizations throughout the world.
Public Management (PM) aims to inspire innovation, inform decision making, connect leading-edge thinking to everyday challenges, and serve ICMA members and local governments in creating and sustaining thriving communities throughout the world.
JESSICA COWLES
conduct ourselves are fundamental to building public trust. Professionals always rise above to choose kindness and civility.
Stressful situations create negative behavior.
The bad news? This has been going on for a long time, so it is not a problem to be solved, but one to manage. Theodore
PRESIDENT
Tanya Ange*
County Administrator Washington County, Oregon
PRESIDENT-ELECT
Michael Land*
City Manager Coppell, Texas
PAST PRESIDENT
Lon Pluckhahn*
City Manager
Vancouver, Washington
VICE PRESIDENTS
International Region
Colin Beheydt
City Manager Bruges, Belgium
Doug Gilchrist
City Manager
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
Lungile Dlamini
Chief Executive Officer
Municipal Council of Manzini, Eswatini
Midwest Region
Michael Sable* City Manager Maplewood, Minnesota
Jeffrey Weckbach
Township Administrator Colerain Township, Ohio
Cynthia Steinhauser*
Deputy City Administrator Rochester, Minnesota
Mountain Plains Region
Dave Slezickey*
City Manager The Village, Oklahoma
Pamela Davis
Assistant City Manager Boulder, Colorado
Sereniah Breland City Manager
Pflugerville, Texas
Northeast Region
Dennis Enslinger
Deputy City Manager Gaithersburg, Maryland
Steve Bartha*
Town Manager Danvers, Massachusetts
Brandon Ford
Assistant Township Manager Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania
Roosevelt’s words from his “Citizenship in a Republic” speech that he gave in Paris in 1910 answer a “why” for choosing a life in public service. While the pronouns and language we use are different today, the value remains the same:
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or
Southeast Region
Jorge Gonzalez*
Village Manager Village of Bal Harbour, Florida
Eric Stuckey
City Administrator Franklin, Tennessee
Chelsea Jackson
Deputy City Manager
Douglasville, Georgia
West Coast Region
Jessi Bon
City Manager
Mercer Island, Washington
Nat Rojanasathira**
Assistant City Manager Monterey, California
Elisa Cox*
Assistant City Manager
Rancho Cucamonga, California
*ICMA-CM
** ICMA Credentialed Manager Candidate
ICMA CEO/Executive Director Marc Ott
Managing Director, Lynne Scott lscott@icma.org
Brand Management, Marketing, and Outreach; Director, Equity & Social Justice and Membership Marketing
One of many Kindness Zone signs found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, installed in honor of Fred Rogers.
Our personal upheavals often help us find empathy as well as perspective when confronting hostile situations at work.
where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds....”
Where do we go from here?
We aim to find the right strategies for these challenges, and these are my ways of coping in the face of incivility. The top of the organization leaves nowhere to hide from harsh words. Assess whether it is hateful, unfounded criticism or feedback worthy of exploring. There could be a nugget of truth in the midst of vitriol worth further review.
Have the courage to be disliked. It was a tough lesson for me to learn, particularly as a former peoplepleaser, that not everyone will like me or my decisions. Take that idea a step further and remember that whether someone likes you or what you say is not a reflection of your worth and dignity as a human being. I found Harvard Business Review’s podcast, “The Essentials: Handling Fierce Criticism,” particularly helpful.1
Before responding, practice the art of the pause… or two or three… and do not be afraid to step away when emotions are heightened. Once words in the heat of the moment are uttered, they cannot be taken back.
Being kind does not indicate weakness. Kindness provides strength to accomplish hard things. Character does not equal bluster.
The emotional fatigue of public denigration can be exhausting. Lean on mental health experts in an act of self-care.2
Find perspective despite the hurt. There are few situations that are truly a crisis when life or death is on the line. In three years, I experienced four medical crises: my father had cancer; my mother had a serious operation that required weeks of recovery in my home; I had a stroke and brain surgery followed by four months of intensive rehabilitation; then a few months later, my sister was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer. I received that news on the second day I was deposed for my role in the ethics review process. Our personal upheavals often help us find empathy as well as perspective when confronting hostile situations at work. We laugh, cry, and
have many emotions in between as we overcome these circumstances to live resiliently and find our joy. You are not alone. Cultivate a circle of advisors whose opinion you value and trust. ICMA regional directors, senior advisors, and the coaching program are available for personal and professional support.
While there is no formula for resolving what feels like a tsunami of negative rhetoric directed at local leaders, Fred Rogers has some wisdom for us. “There are three ways to ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” Do so in the face of adversity to be the inspiration for civility we need today.
• Leadership During and After a Crisis: icma.org/page/leadership-during-and-after-crisis
• Career Compass – Responding to Public Criticism: icma.org/articles/article/career-compass-no-102responding-public-criticism
• Career Compass – Empathy is a Superpower: icma.org/articles/article/career-compass-no-86empathy-superpower
• The National Academy of Public Administration’s 2024 Election – What Does Good Government Look Like: napawash.org/election-2024-goodgovernment and a video with Valerie Lemmie talking about her time as City Manager of Cincinnati: youtu.be/7iyyLl4HxLk
• The National Civil League’s All-America Conversations Toolkit: nationalcivicleague.org/ resources/america-conversations-toolkit/
• Colorado Municipal League’s Civility Starts Here: cml.org/home/topics-key-issues/civility-starts-here
• Georgia Municipal Association’s Embrace Civility: gacities.com/Initiatives/Civility.aspx
• Pennsylvania Municipal League’s Civility Campaign: pml.org/civility-campaign/
Calendar of Events
Invest in Your Organization: Bring ICMA’s Training to Your Organization! In-Person and Online Training for Your Team
Bring ICMA’s Certificate and Micro-Certificate programs to your jurisdiction. Offered live online and in-person, we will bring the training to you. Choose from 13 topics. Schedule the perfect training for your team at a time convenient for you. Invest in your organization today! Scan the QR code to learn more.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Modernizing Budgeting: A Transformational Shift to Priority-Based Budgeting
November 7–November 21 | Certificate Program
Healthy Workplace Relationships: A User’s Guide
November 13 | Webinar
Your City Is Changing: Here’s How to Measure It
November 19 | Free Webinar
Talent Retention Toolbox: Strategies for Keeping Your Best Talent
November 21 | Free Coaching Webinar
Strengthening Intergovernmental Collaboration: A Vision for the New Year
December 5 | Free Webinar
Local Government
Reimagined Conference
February 26–28 | Denver, Colorado, USA
VI World Forum of Local Economic Development
April 1–4, 2025 | Seville, Spain
Local Government
Reimagined Conference
April 2–4 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Gettysburg Leadership Institute 2025
April 9–11 | Leadership Development Program | Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Economic Mobility and Opportunity Conference
May 21–23 | Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Gettysburg Leadership Institute 2025
June 11–13 | Leadership Development Program | Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Athenian Program 2025
November 7 | Zoom Informational Session
Harnessing the Power of Revenue & Transaction Data to Revolutionize Decision-Making
November 14 | Webinar
Seminario web sobre el Rol de los Gobiernos
Locales en la Promoción del Desarrollo Económico
November 15 | Webinar
Drive Impact with Scenario Planning in Local Government
December 5 | Webinar
Leadership ICMA Returns April 2025
Reimagined for the next generation of local government leaders, this flagship ICMA program will impart leadership lessons while participants form lasting connections with their peers.
Registration is limited to 35 ICMA members. Receive your alert when applications open later this year. Join the list! Visit icma.org/leadershipicma or scan the QR code.
For a full listing of events and details, visit icma.org/events. Shop all courses at learning.icma.org.
The Search for ICMA’s Next CEO
Learn more about what we’re looking for.
Ever since current ICMA CEO/Executive Director Marc Ott announced his retirement effective June 2025, the ICMA Executive Board search committee has been engaged in the process of hiring his eventual replacement.
ICMA appreciates those members who shared their thoughts on the qualifications sought in the new CEO/Executive Director through in-person listening sessions held at the annual conference and through a survey submitted to all members and ICMA staff. The position is currently advertised based on that feedback, and the Executive Board hopes to announce the new CEO/Executive Director in spring 2025.
We look forward to the opportunities ahead, and encourage our members to engage with ICMA, the Executive Board, and staff as we work together to strengthen communities around the globe.
The following is the official job description for the new CEO/Executive Director, along with contact information to learn more and to apply.
ICMA CEO/Executive Director
The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) seeks dynamic, creative, visionary candidates for its next CEO/Executive Director. The organization is the leading authority on leadership and management for professional local government managers and administrators serving U.S. and international municipalities. ICMA’s services support more than 13,000 members.
Founded in 1914, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is the premier leadership and management organization that advances professional local government throughout the world. ICMA is committed to the preservation of the values and integrity of representative local government and local democracy and is dedicated to the promotion of efficient and effective management of public services.
While most members are U.S. based, ICMA is committed to global engagement and along with a network of more than 30 countries from Australia to Zambia, ICMA leads and coordinates technical assistance projects, fosters professional exchanges and scholarship programs as well as organizes internationally focused events. ICMA provides education, research, and advocacy to local governments and has a global network committed to advancing professional local government.
Governed by a 21-member Executive Board representing U.S. and international regions, ICMA is a richly diverse organization of local government managers/administrators,
assistants, department heads and others, all ascribing to a Code of Ethics and core beliefs that underpin their delivery of local government services.
The CEO/Executive Director oversees a workforce of 100 in a virtual first environment and a budget of more than $34 million. The next CEO/Executive Director will be skilled in executive leadership, board and member relations, and a proactive and effective communicator with a cross-cultural understanding and a global perspective. This position requires demonstrated success in organizational leadership and management, a collaborative style with stakeholders, the ability to foster an inclusive environment, and a vision for advancing the principles of the profession.
The position requires a bachelor’s degree plus 10 years of executive-level experience with progressively increasing responsibilities. A master’s degree in business or public administration or organizational leadership is desired, and local government experience is highly valued. A background and understanding of association management is also preferred.
Salary: Competitive based on qualifications with the anticipated range between the upper $300,000s to lower $400,000s with a comprehensive benefits package available.
Learn more by scanning the QR code or by visiting GovHRjobs.com. Interested candidates should apply online with a cover letter, resume, and contact information for at least five professional references by November 15, 2024. Confidential inquiries may be directed to Charlene Stevens, MGT Vice President of Human Capital Solutions, 320-262-0303; Mary Jacobs, MGT Director of Human Capital Solutions, 847-380-3240 x 117; or W. Lane Bailey, MGT Senior Consultant, 704-7988221. ICMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Empower and Equip
Your Communications Team with 3C A
WHAT IS 3C A?
With more than 1,700 members nationwide, the City-County Communications & arketing Association (3C A) is the nation's premiere network of local government communicators. Effective public communicators are vital to local government success, linking residents to the essential information they need to access services and be part of the democratic process.
3C A IS ESSENTIAL FOR CO UNICATIONS STAFF
E d u c a t i o n Education
Equip your Communications Directors, Graphic Designers, Social edia anagers, Videographers, and more with access to cutting-edge workshops, webinars, and conferences that keep them ahead of the curve in public communication and marketing strategies.
R e s o u r c e s Resources
Provide them with a rich repository of templates, guides, case studies, and best practices tailored specifically for local government communication professionals.
C a r e e r D e v e l o p m e n t
Career Development
Advance their careers with unparalleled opportunities for professional growth through certifications, training programs, and exclusive members-only content.
Networking
Connect your team with a nationwide network of local government communication experts. Whether you have a one-person team or a large, decentralized group, 3C A offers the support needed to address any challenge.
Recognizing Excellence
Honoring the 2024 ICMA Veterans Recognition Award Recipients
BY LYNN PHILLIPS AND ALAN PENNINGTON
ICMA’s Veterans Advisory Committee
established the ICMA Veterans Recognition Award to honor high-performing veterans who have transitioned into local government roles and contributed significantly to their communities. The award acknowledges their exceptional service and seeks to challenge and change perceptions and biases against those who have served in the Armed Forces. The 2024 awardees are exemplary leaders who have used their military experiences to drive meaningful change in their municipalities. The Veterans Advisory Committee is pleased to recognize the following 2024 Veterans Recognition Award recipients.
Nickolaus J. Hernandez, ICMA-CM
A Commitment to Sustainable Growth and Leadership
is senior program manager of veterans, coaching, and scholarships programs at ICMA.
ALAN PENNINGTON is senior vice president of Matrix Consulting Group.
A U.S. Marine veteran and native of Ford County, Kansas, Nickolaus “Nick” Hernandez has distinguished himself as a leader in local government. Nick has served as city manager of Dodge City, Kansas, since June 2020. His tenure has been marked by a commitment to enhancing community infrastructure and economic development. Among his many achievements, Nick led the development of an $18 million streetscape project, revitalizing Dodge City’s historic core. His leadership in environmental efforts, including the preservation of the Ogallala Aquifer through wastewater reuse and managed aquifer recharge, secured over $34 million in state and federal funding. Nick’s contributions extend beyond infrastructure; he has been instrumental in fostering community engagement and professional mentorship, reflected in his leadership roles on the ICMA Governance Committee and Kansas League of Municipalities Board. His unwavering dedication to public service and his ability to inspire others make him a deserving recipient of the Veterans Recognition Award.
Michael Douglas Transforming East Spencer with Visionary Leadership
Michael Douglas, a U.S. Army veteran, has been a transformative force in North Carolina local government since 2016. As the town manager of East Spencer,
North Carolina, Michael has spearheaded initiatives that have driven unprecedented growth and development in the town. Under his leadership, East Spencer secured a $23.3 million grant to overhaul its aging water and sewer system, and he managed several significant community development block grants totaling over $4 million. His strategic use of ARPA funds enabled critical upgrades and the creation of a Homeowners Rehabilitation Program, providing financial assistance for home repairs. Michael’s leadership has also fostered substantial residential development, projected to increase the town’s population by 37% over the next four years. His commitment to mentorship is evident in the internship program he established with Livingstone College, providing students with opportunities to pursue careers in local government. Michael’s dedication to his community, combined with his professional excellence, has earned him this prestigious recognition.
Myles Tucker
A Catalyst for Change in Needham, Massachusetts
An Air National Guard veteran, Myles Tucker has made significant contributions to the town of Needham, Massachusetts, in just three years. His efforts in updating select board policies, creating a historic district, and overseeing the recodification of the town’s bylaws have brought about positive change. Myles played a pivotal role in the establishment of Needham’s municipal electricity aggregation program and has been instrumental in modernizing the town’s license and permit processes. His work extends beyond administration. Myles has been a leader in community engagement, responding to a major flooding disaster and implementing the Valor Act’s veterans tax work-off program. Despite his demanding role, Myles continues to serve in the Air National Guard, demonstrating a remarkable ability to balance his commitments. His dedication to local government, veterans, and his community makes him a standout recipient of the Veterans Recognition Award.
LYNN PHILLIPS
Shaun Mulholland Solving Problems with Innovative Solutions in Lebanon, New Hampshire
Shaun Mulholland, a U.S. Army veteran, has been a driving force behind innovative solutions in Lebanon, New Hampshire. As city manager, Shaun addressed the city’s housing shortage by leading the development of affordable housing for municipal employees, funded through grants rather than taxpayer dollars. He also partnered with a nonprofit to build a new childcare center, both critical to Lebanon’s economic development. Shaun’s leadership extends to his role as a mentor and advocate for local government professionals across New Hampshire. He has received numerous accolades, including “New Hampshire Emergency Management Director of the Year” and “NHMA Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year.” Shaun’s commitment to continuous improvement is evident in his efforts to modernize procurement processes, enhance environmental sustainability, and support his staff in delivering high-quality public services. His visionary leadership and dedication to solving complex challenges make him a deserving recipient of the Veterans Recognition Award.
Their contributions to local government not only improve their communities but also serve as a testament to the invaluable skills and perspectives that veterans bring to public service.
Achieve Compliance and Build Resident Trust
Powering and Empowering Government
Like your community, your website is an actively growing and changing entity. To ensure that as you add and update content, links, forms, documents, files, and tools, your website remains accessible to every community member, you need integrated quality assurance and web governance tools. No matter the size of your team and budget, we have easy-to-implement and maintain tools to empower your content creators. Use the QR code to get in touch with us and learn more about web accessibility solutions. You can also call 888-228-2233 or visit www.CivicPlus.com for more information.
These four recipients exemplify the leadership, dedication, and service that the Veterans Recognition Award seeks to honor. Their contributions to local government not only improve their communities but also serve as a testament to the invaluable skills and perspectives that veterans bring to public service. Through their efforts, they are helping to reshape perceptions and demonstrate the profound impact veterans can have in municipal leadership roles. The next time you receive a job application from someone with military service, consider giving them a chance. You won’t regret it!
For additional information about ICMA’s veterans programs, visit icma.org/ topics/veterans or by following us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ icma-veterans. Reach out to the ICMA military outreach senior program manager at veterans@icma.org. You can also contact the Veterans Advisory Committee chair, Peter Troedsson, at peter.troedsson @albanyoregon.gov.
A Call to Action
The Small Steps to Help Shatter the Glass Ceiling for Women within the Workplace
Imagine a world where all women can reach their fullest leadership potential. Such a world will never exist if we don’t all take steps to get us there. This article is a call to action to request your help to shatter the glass ceiling. The goal of this article is to provide some relatively easy strategies that can have a big impact on closing the gender gap.
Mentorship—We all know that mentorship is invaluable to helping women’s career growth in the workplace, but what exactly does mentorship look like? To promote women into leadership positions, it is crucial that you give them a glimpse behind the curtain. Inviting women to the table as observers to important meetings will provide them with the opportunity to better understand the interpersonal dynamics and thought patterns involved. I want to challenge you to take on a mentor role for at least one woman within your organization this year. Invite them to some of your key meetings, then follow up to debrief with them on the meeting. This exercise will provide them with invaluable insight they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Sponsorship—While mentorship is a huge step, it is simply not enough to help women succeed as leaders. To truly be successful, women need sponsorship. We need our male counterparts and mentors to become advocates on our behalf. According to a Harvard Business Review article, “Without sponsorship, women not only are less likely than men to be appointed to top roles but may also be more reluctant to go for them.”1 One way to act as a sponsor for a woman is to invite her to a networking event and introduce her to key stakeholders. The size of the event does not matter; what’s important is that others see you actively supporting her.
AUDREY ABLES is a budget and financial management analyst at Pinellas County, Florida.
Schedule Flexibility—Often we hear women confess that they feel the need to choose between being a caregiver and advancing their career. Historically, inflexibility in the workplace has led women to feel as though they cannot be both an organizational leader and a caregiver. To help bridge this gap, organizations must implement policies that allow women flexibility to be both. One solution that many local governments have implemented in the wake of the pandemic is
BY AUDREY ABLES
a hybrid work schedule. Allowing women to work remotely gives them the space they need to find a better work-life balance and aid their mental health by establishing breaks.
Elder Care—Lastly, you can review your elder care policies. Women are often left to fill the role of caregiver for aging parents and relatives. We are seeing an increase in the elderly population, thus the demand for workplace policies that aid in elder care is only going to increase. Providing flexibility with time off and scheduling is an easier solution; however, you could also work with your employee assistance vendor to talk through potential service options.
Hopefully, these strategies help you take the small step that leads to a giant leap for women in this profession. If each person reading this article were to commit to adopting one of these strategies, we can help women everywhere reach their fullest potential.
The Best of #ICMA2024
Watch on-demand 28 hours of expert #localgov training!
The highest-rated #ICMA2024 Conference session recordings are available to purchase and access on-demand. Get advice, insights, and brilliant ideas from the premier conference for local government professionals.
The Best of #ICMA2024 includes the 28 recorded sessions below from the 2024 ICMA Annual Conference in Pittsburgh/Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. All sessions convey credit for maintaining the ICMA-CM designation; 7 sessions qualify for AICP-CM*.
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) in Government—It Is Possible!
• Empowering the Public to Engage, Collaborate, and Develop a Community Action Plan*
• Leading from Any Seat
• Weld County’s Strategic Plan: From Paper to Progress the Do’s and Don’ts of a Successful Implementation
• Capital Infrastructure Needs: Strategies to Engage, Prioritize, and Implement*
• Transformation of a Parks and Leisure Department into an Award-winning, Industry-leading Operation Within the United Kingdom
• How Effective Local Government and Police Leadership Relations Enhance Public Safety Strategies
• Intentional Communication
• Culture Wars Come Home: When Local Government Decision-making Becomes a Platform for Culture Wars and How to Work Through It
• So Much More Than the Strip: Southern Nevada Goes All-in on Interlocal Climate Collaboration*
• Blueprints of Tomorrow: Strategic Planning with Data Insights
• The Next Big Things: 10 Trends for the Next 10 Years
• It’s Not If, but When: Critical Incident and Mass Shooting Preparedness for City Managers
• Harnessing the Strengths of Your Local Economy: Integrated Planning and Strategic Action in Albemarle County, Virginia*
• Local Government Engagement with Our First Nations People: An International Perspective from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada
• Right-Sizing Best Practices for Public Safety and Racial Justice*
• Visualizing Success: New Ways to Show the Impact of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• When #2’s Move Up: A Ten-Year Reflection
• Pride vs. Prejudice: Lessons from LGBTQ+ Public Administrators
• Connecting Through Data: Transforming Community Engagement
• Help! Protecting the Lives of People with Disabilities*
• Solving Government’s Hardest Puzzles: Leveraging Collaboration to Bring the Pieces Together
• Leading and Managing Multigenerational Teams
• A Working Guide to Generative AI in Local Government
• Leading a Small Community: Challenges, Solutions, and the Power of Transparency
• MyBlue, Building the Bond Between the Police and Residents; A Chief for Every Resident
• Climate Action Through Shared Leadership: How One Community Is Using Consensus and Civil Discourse to Reach Its Climate Goals*
• Generative Artificial Intelligence and Storytelling: How to Effectively Use the Tools for Authentic Human Connection
How has the ICMA Code of Ethics helped you transition from your military career to local government management?
Military veterans who now work in local government share their thoughts on ethical values in leadership.
In recognition of Veterans Day on November 11 in the United States, ICMA would like to thank those who have served in the military for their service to our country.
ICMA asked three Veteran Advisory Committee members about the overlapping values between their military careers and the local government management profession. The mission of the ICMA Veterans Advisory Committee is to enhance local government through the inclusion of veterans who share the passion, skills, and knowledge to succeed in public service. Learn more at icma.org/veterans/resources.
Tracey Nicholson Douglas
City Administrator, Hyattsville, Maryland
U.S. Army Veteran
ICMA member since 2016
“As an Army veteran and current Hyattsville city manager, I am fortunate to have been a member of two distinguished organizations that value leadership, professionalism, and the highest standards of ethical conduct. Both organizations use equity, fairness, integrity, service, and respect as their guiding principles. The Army’s values were so closely aligned with my current work experience that the transition from serving my country to my community was almost seamless. Continuing to embrace these important professional qualities as a city manager is a great source of pride for me.”
Peter Troedsson, ICMA-CM
City Manager, Albany, Oregon
U.S. Coast Guard Veteran
ICMA member since 2013
“The transition from military service to service in local government can involve a steep learning curve and significant adjustments. But one thing that is comfortingly familiar is the adherence to a high ethical standard. Honor, respect, and devotion to duty—the U.S Coast Guard’s core values can be found woven into the fabric of the ICMA Code of Ethics. For me, the Code of Ethics provides a solid and stable foundation which communicates the importance of integrity to public service…and my motivation to continue to serve today.”
SHARE YOUR STORY
Casey Lucius, PhD Assistant City Manager, Marco Island, Florida U.S. Navy Veteran ICMA member since 2021
“One of the first things I learned when I went to Officer Candidate School in November 1998 was to help my shipmates before I help myself. This is the essence of service, both in the Navy and at the local level—we serve to help others. The ICMA Code of Ethics emphasizes serving the public equitably, with integrity and exemplary conduct. The alignment of values between ICMA and the U.S. Navy makes my role in local government absolutely clear and places the needs of the public as my top priority.”
In celebration of the 100th anniversary, ICMA invites members to reflect on how the Code has influenced you personally and professionally. icma.org/ethicsstory
CONTACT US
ICMA encourages members seeking confidential advice on ethics issues to contact Jessica Cowles, ethics director, at jcowles@icma.org or 202-962-3513. Answers to common ethics issues and questions are also available at icma.org/page/ethics-issues-and-advice.
The importance of fostering transparency, leveraging technology, and maintaining a keen understanding of the local political dynamic.
Navigating Governance SMALL TOWN
BY JERRY GIAIMIS
In the span of my career, the role I held the longest was that of a borough administrator in a community with a population of approximately 3,300. Prior to joining that municipality, I initially believed my talents were better suited for leadership in larger, seemingly more complex, areas and that managing a small town would lead to boredom. However, my assumptions were entirely off the mark.
Despite the positives of so many of the communities I served, this role turned out to be the most professionally rewarding, notwithstanding its challenges. Small towns across the globe face a wide range of unique issues based on their geographic location and the character of their communities. Yet, there’s a common thread—the unique challenge that arises when those making and implementing the policies and the residents they affect are closely knit due to the community’s small size. This close-knit nature adds a personal element to various decisions, thereby increasing the complexity of managing a small community. Decisions may affect friends and neighbors directly, making it harder to maintain professional distance. Even if you don’t reside in the community yourself, you can’t hide from tough personnel or policy decisions that may impact employees with longstanding relationships with residents and stakeholders, especially if those decisions involve the loss of employment or contracts.
On policy matters, small towns are often characterized by a strong sense of tradition and resistance to change. This can make it difficult for a manager to implement new initiatives or changes, even for the benefit of the community. In a close-knit community, transformational change can be seen as disruptive. This is doubly challenging because small towns are often more politically engaged. This forces managers to navigate complex political landscapes, including managing relationships with elected officials, influential community groups, and individual residents. Staying apolitical while managing political dynamics is a delicate balancing act.
All of this can lead to conflict with your governing body when making decisions within your statutory authority and based on your professional expertise. Such discord may arise if your decisions contradict the pressures they face, primarily due to the inherent challenges associated with managing a small community, which closely resemble the complexities experienced by an elected official in a small community.
On policy matters, small towns are often characterized by a strong sense of tradition and resistance to change.
Overcoming These Challenges
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to overcome these issues, but there are ways to mitigate the inherent challenges I’ve described.
Excessive Transparency
In a small and civic-minded community, residents will demand transparency, oftentimes more than in larger communities. Every decision, policy change, or public project will be scrutinized, and the manager must be prepared to explain and justify these actions. When decisions are made with this in mind, residents feel like they have a meaningful voice, and their contributions are likely to be more productive and substantive. Maintaining a high level of transparency helps residents understand the reasons behind decisions, which goes a long way toward combatting misinformation. Community-wide trust is enhanced when those civicminded residents who stay abreast of the issues share that level of confidence with those who may be paying less attention.
Robust Manager’s Reports
Many managers have admitted that upon attaining a level of comfort in their roles, they often inadvertently reduce the depth of their reports during council meetings, focusing solely on what they alone perceive as the community’s main interests. However, it’s crucial to acknowledge that in a smaller community, operations and policy interests parallel those of larger communities. The primary distinction lies in the number of individuals voicing their concerns, and in a smaller community, each voice has
the potential to have a greater impact on decision-makers and higher influence within the community.
Avoid the pitfall of confining your information to what you perceive as high-priority projects. Understand that issues or changes you consider minor may hold greater significance in a smaller community. Hence, act like each meeting and report is your first, and come prepared to inform and impress. Despite the low attendance, the intimate nature of a small town makes it likely that critical information will reach relevant stakeholders.
Using Technology to Promote Transparency
As mentioned, small towns often exhibit a higher level of involvement and understanding of their local governments, and it is, therefore, pivotal to leverage technology to increase transparency. Software solutions, with pricing structures that reflect the community’s population size, are readily available and affordable. These include agenda management tools, public records platforms, 311type mobile applications, and software that helps facilitate community feedback.
In the absence of these software solutions, there are cost-free alternatives that can be equally effective. Social media offers a free platform for information dissemination. Video updates on various community matters can be easily recorded and shared through smartphones. Consistent updates—using blogs, photos, and timelines for capital projects— significantly contribute to promoting transparency within the community.
Despite the low meeting attendance, the intimate nature of a small town makes it likely that critical information will reach relevant stakeholders.
A good example of this is when Alex Torpey, former city manager of Hanover, New Hampshire, created a podcast, “Hanover Happenings,” to drive public engagement. Remarkably, in a town with only 12,000 residents, the podcast had more than 10,000 listens. This example highlights the role of innovative technology in fostering community engagement and transparency.
Understanding the Political Landscape
Notwithstanding its originator’s objectionable views on issues of race, the politics-administration dichotomy is the foundation of the council-manager form of government that still stands today. Perspectives on this dichotomy may differ slightly, but there is one constant: managers must maintain political impartiality and refrain from decision-making influenced by politics. This, however, should not imply hostility toward politics or completely disregarding a community’s political
environment. For instance, I faced considerable backlash in a previous community for a personnel decision that affected a long-standing employee and resident. Upon reflection, while I would have stood by the decision, my approach would have been different given the political climate I had overlooked.
Awareness of your community’s political dynamic and influence on the decisionmaking process does not contradict this dichotomy. It can involve simple adjustments, such as altering the timing of a decision or preemptively informing key stakeholders about significant impending changes that will affect governmental operations.
A Delicate Balancing Act
Serving as a manager in a small town presents several challenges that result from the close-knit nature and the strong sense of tradition. You can address these challenges with strategies fostering transparency, leveraging technology, and maintaining a keen understanding of the local political dynamic.
Aside from the traditional administrative functions, working in a small community requires a delicate balancing act of managing relationships and navigating complex political dynamics. When done successfully, small town management offers unparalleled opportunities for personal growth, professional development, and community impact.
JERRY GIAIMIS is the Northeast regional director of ICMA (jgiaimis@icma.org).
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A Brave New Demographic World: Depopulation and Examples from Japan
The implications of population decline for local government, especially in small and rural communities
BY SARAH SIELOFF AND FERNANDO ORTIZ-MOYA, PhD
Much of what we think we know about demography and cities or towns is about to be wrong. When a community’s vitality and prosperity suffer, urban planning prescribes revitalization, often in the form of population and economic growth. But what if growth is no longer a given because it’s not mathematically possible? What would this mean for local governments?
We live in a world in which once unassailable assumptions about urban growth are in doubt: as of 2024, 63 countries have declining national populations, including some of the world’s largest economies like China, Germany, and Japan. The United Nations, for example, predicts that the global population will peak at about 10.3 billion and begin to decline in the mid2080s, with implications for cities large and small.
Factors driving this unprecedented shift include lower birthrates and longer lifespans. In many countries, birthrates have been dropping for decades. Globally, most people now live in countries where birthrates are below what demographers call “replacement rate,” or 2.1 children per woman—the number required to maintain a given population. Reasons for this decline
Rokkosaki Lighthouse, Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan
include the availability of birth control, enhanced educational and professional opportunities for women, and urbanization. At the same time, lifespans have lengthened, and the proportion of people over age 65 in many societies has grown. The compounded impact of these forces can take decades to unspool, and once they do, government policies— particularly those designed to encourage reproduction—are unlikely to move the needle. Even after ending its one-child policy in 2016, and actively encouraging families to have up to three children, China’s birthrate sits at about one child per woman. The new reality for many countries is one of
below-replacement birthrates that are likely to stay low, and a society in which older people outnumber younger ones. It is impossible to overstate the significance of this shift. As national populations begin to decline, a growing number of
large and small municipalities will encounter prolonged periods of population decline. Depopulation looks different in different places, in places with shrinking national populations, but it often manifests first and most visibly
in rural and small communities, many of which have already experienced dislocation due to economic consolidation and globalization. The impacts of global demographic shifts may therefore be particularly acute for today’s already low-population communities. Depopulation, however, is not destiny. Its impacts are significant, and available planning tools are limited, but they don’t have to stay that way. As a field, urban planning has an inherent bias toward growth management. Where planning needs are the result of population loss, available tools are few. Similarly, local elected officials, economic development practitioners, and community leaders are also having to rethink assumptions and plans, especially in small communities that are no strangers to population stagnation and decline. Small communities have an urgent
need for answers, but getting to answers first requires asking the right questions.
Japan: A Living Laboratory in Population Decline
Japan’s population peaked in 2008 at 128 million and has been declining since. With its over-65 population approaching 30%, Japan is home to the second oldest society on the planet, after the small European nation of Monaco.1 UN projections estimate that between 2020 and 2050, Japan’s population will contract by 16%, and the Japanese government predicts an aging and shrinking society for the next 100 years.2
Depopulation is already having national impacts, but it does not affect all places equally. With a metro population close to 37 million—30% of the Japanese population—Tokyo is the world’s largest urban agglomeration, and has been almost the only Japanese city to grow continuously over the last several decades. While large metros like Tokyo will suffer population loss in Japan’s smaller, older future, many remote communities are already experiencing existential population decline. They face distinct challenges, including slower or negative economic growth, a reduced labor force, diminished tax revenues, difficulty in providing public services, school closures, vacant land and buildings, and challenges with infrastructure maintenance. The impacts of population decline are also very human: they create significant uncertainty for those who continue to call these communities home and erode communities’ sense of identity. National projections
forecast that some smaller cities will decline by more than 70% between 2020 and 2050. On the contrary, during the same period, parts of central Tokyo are expected to grow by around 20%.3
This trend has been decades in the making. During the 1960s and 1970s, Japan experienced a period of unmatched economic growth and industrialization that propelled its economy to the world’s second largest. Ruralurban migrants fueled this economic miracle. Encouraged by national policy, Japan’s rapid economic growth favored the chain of large urban areas stretching along the Pacific coast from Tokyo to Osaka. At the same time, areas farther from the so-called Tokaido Belt began to decline. Many small and mid-sized Japanese cities and towns have lost population since the 1960s.
Amid this substantial urban migration, Japan’s birth rate
fell below the demographic replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman in 1974, spurred by factors ranging from access to birth control, government policy, urbanization, and improved economic opportunities for women. In recent years, fertility rates have oscillated between about 1.26 and 1.4 children per woman. In 2023, births fell for the eighth year straight, to 758,631—a 5.1% decline from 2022. Marriages similarly declined by 5.9% from 2022, and the age of marriage is rising. All this harbors a continued decline in birth rates, since very few births in Japan occur outside of wedlock.
At the same time, Japan leads the world in life expectancy. The central government expects the country’s population to continue to shrink for the foreseeable future.4 Smaller Japanese municipalities are therefore at the frontiers of managing population aging
and decline in this brave new demographic world.
Local Governments Experiment with New Approaches
How are small communities in Japan managing shrinkage? Traditionally, Japanese local governments, encouraged by national policy, have sought to halt and reverse population decline using traditional growth-focused economic and community development strategies. They have worked tirelessly to reverse migration trends and attract new residents, increase birth rates, and attract businesses. Some of those strategies have generated results.
For example, several smaller cities in Japan have invested in family-friendly policies and perks, infrastructure, and incentives. The city of Nagi in Okayama Prefecture (population 5,700) offers free medical care for children,
Manazuru, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Photo by Fernando Ortiz Moya
highly subsidized childcare, and facilities to help connect parents with each other. In 2021, its birthrate was 2.68 children per woman.5 Other towns have generated creative community development projects or enterprises. For still others, however, a continued focus on growth in a shrinking country means competing with other communities across the country, and investing limited resources that don’t return measurable benefits for existing residents.
As Japan’s population continues to grow older and smaller, economic, financial, and administrative pressures will continue to manifest most acutely in lowpopulation places. Eventually, demographic realities will force local governments to abandon growth-based planning and redesign their communities, imagining alternative development pathways based on different values and using different metrics to measure success. The details remain to be seen, but some municipalities, like Yubari, Suzu, and Manazuru, are already trying to chart a different course.
Yubari, Hokkaido Prefecture
Yubari made headlines when it became the first Japanese city to file for de-facto bankruptcy in 2006. Yubari emerged as a center for coal mining in the late 1800s and peaked at 116,908 in population in 1960. Soon after, Japan changed its energy policy to favor oil over coal, and Yubari’s fortunes began to ebb. As jobs went away, so did the city’s working-age population. By 1970, Yubari had lost close to 45,000 inhabitants.
At first, Yubari did what most shrinking cities do—it sought growth. Induced by national programs intended to support depopulating peripheral regions, in the 1980s, local authorities launched the “from mines to tourism” initiative (tanko kara kankou he in Japanese), with the Coal History Village (Sekitan Rekishi Mura), a theme park located on a former mine site, as its flagship project. Facilities expanded throughout the years, including the Yubari Coal Mine Museum, Yubari Fossil Pavilion, Robot Science Museum, and an amusement park, the largest in Hokkaido at the time. A ski resort with a new hotel and the Yubari International
new, more centralized housing and developing service and transportation nodes, including the new RISUTA Center (a rendering of the English “restart”). Opened in March 2020, RISUTA brings together mobility services, multipurpose spaces, and a library.
Fantastic Film Festival followed in 1990. To afford all this, the city borrowed money from the central government.
After 30 years of industrial unwinding, Yubari’s last mine shut down in 1990. At that time, only 21,824 citizens remained, too few taxpayers to shoulder the city’s debts. In the 2000s, the city halted its revitalization efforts. Lack of funding forced the closure of both tourist attractions and essential public services. By 2006, the combination of aging, depopulation, and a decades-long debt-financed pro-growth revitalization strategy had put the city’s finances on thin ice. Changes to central government policy that reduced available funding for municipalities culminated in Yubari’s bankruptcy.
By 2020, Yubari was home to 7,344 people, and in 2024, the city’s estimated population is 6,374, of whom the majority are over 65. While current revitalization plans still prioritize stabilizing the city’s population with family-friendly policies and in-migration, Yubari is also focused on bolstering quality of life for its existing residents. This has included building
Yubari is also focused on growing its “involved population.” This concept, which Japan’s central government also promotes, is an alternative to permanent population. It includes people who do not live in Yubari but are connected in a meaningful way, like residents who have moved away but maintain social ties, or repeat tourists. City policies and plans encourage and facilitate monetary and social exchanges with the involved population.
Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture
Suzu is a small community located at the northernmost tip of the Noto Peninsula. It gained international attention following the January 1, 2024 Noto earthquake that struck less than four miles away from the city. Reconstruction efforts were underway when heavy rains in September set back progress with flooding and landslides. Before these disasters, Suzu was known for its attempts to curb shrinkage by reimagining itself around the principles of sustainable agriculture and local traditions.
Suzu’s remote location— the closest large urban area is 87 miles away—and its dependence on agriculture and fisheries led its population to start declining earlier than other similar Japanese cities. Suzu’s population peaked at 38,157 in 1950. Its 2020 population stood at 12,934, half of whom are 65 or older.
Manazuru, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan Photo by Fernando Ortiz Moya
Within Japan, Suzu is famous for its traditional agehama method of salt production. While labor-intensive and more time-consuming than modern methods, it is still used today. Suzu is home to a complex system of satoyama (mountainous) and satoumi (coastal) landscapes—terms that denote the natural areas surrounding rural settlements that have been reshaped by human activities for centuries. In 2011, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization recognized Suzu as part of its Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. Although Suzu implements traditional pro-growth approaches to attract tourists, like its Oku-Noto Art Triennale, local authorities
As of 2024, 63 countries have declining national populations, including some of the world’s largest economies like China, Germany, and Japan.
are leveraging Suzu’s natural and cultural assets as part of a strategy to maximize exchanges with urban areas throughout Japan. The city opened the Noto School in 2006 to teach practical agricultural business skills to urban entrepreneurs. Through the program, local authorities hope that some of the students will move to
Suzu, start new companies, and add value to its economy while preserving the city’s satoyama and satoumi. Suzu is also embracing other tenets of sustainable development, including wind and solar power.
It is difficult to predict how the dual disasters of 2024 will affect Suzu’s development. The earthquake killed 126 people and damaged 5,916 out of the city’s 6,000 homes. How Suzu’s pre-disaster revitalization efforts support its recovery may be the best test of its natural asset-based approach to community maintenance.
Manazuru, Kanagawa Prefecture
Located 90 minutes west of Tokyo by high-speed rail, the
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town of Manazuru reached its peak population in 1970 with 10,284 residents. In 2020, it was home to 6,725 residents, 43.5% of whom were over age 65. Historically a center for fishing and stone quarrying, Manazuru contributed the stones that formed the foundation of Tokyo’s Edo Castle. The stones were also highly valued throughout the 20th century as material for tombstones, and former Emperor Hirohito’s tombstone was quarried in Manazuru. The town’s population has declined over time due to aging and out-migration. Its stone industry has also suffered as consumers have turned toward simpler, less expensive funerary alternatives.
• Best practices from across the country
• Ways to make conversations and decisions less subjective and more objective
• The “inside baseball” of how TIF deals get vetted
• Downloadable spreadsheet templates that accompany the text
In the 1980s, during the years of Japan’s real estate bubble, Manazuru took a different path from other coastal towns close to Tokyo.
Local authorities prevented the construction of high residential buildings and instead chose to protect Manazuru’s traditional landscape and ocean views. This strategy allows Manazuru to stand out from other shrinking communities by highlighting its preserved townscape, thereby enhancing the quality of life for its residents.
Local authorities are aware that leveraging Manazuru’s relative proximity to Tokyo amplifies regeneration opportunities. Rather than try to recruit permanent residents, Manazuru has focused on facilitating a constant churn of repeat worker-visitors. Manazuru brands itself as an alternative to the capital— close by rail, but a cultural world away. In the “Manazuru Republic,” it’s possible to work in the morning and spend the afternoon catching dinner with laidback locals.
Manazuru has marketed itself as a home for startups, as a desirable location for satellite offices for Tokyo’s tech firms, and as a site for “workcations,” or extended working holidays. Through a public-private collaboration, the town is also home to the Manazuru Tech Lab, a former sushi restaurant-turned-makerspace that includes machinery for digitized stone carving, 3D printing, machining, and a kitchen for developing recipes and value-added food products.
Looking Forward, Developing New Concepts and Tools
Japan’s case is not unique; it foreshadows demographic shifts already underway in other countries around the world. Population aging and decline will stretch pension systems, distort labor markets, and increase demand for social services. While both local and national governments will feel the impacts of population aging and decline, small local
tend to have negligible and often only temporary impacts on reproductive decision making. Any increase they generate is typically not enough to raise birthrates to replacement level. There is a need for a bigger, broader conversation about growth, our expectations surrounding it, and how those assumptions influence planning.
governments are already at the forefront of managing these changes, with limited resources and without a strong assortment of tools from disciplines like urban planning and economic development. While Japan’s central and local governments are only beginning to develop the tools and strategies they will use to manage demographic change moving forward, Japan’s experience shows that when a national population is shrinking, traditional economic development models based on competition and growth are of limited utility, and can even be counterproductive. Stabilizing population or slowing its decline can be an achievable goal, but growth is likely not possible in a national shrinking population context. Local governments that accept these dynamics can better invest their limited resources. While some municipalities have achieved locally higher birthrates, research shows that policy and incentives
We are about to enter a world where population growth is not possible for many local governments. The search for alternatives is an ongoing effort that will require our best and most creative thinking, which in turn requires our best efforts to understand our new demographic trends.
4 Japan experiences very limited immigration per year. Whereas immigration can be a source of population growth, it is so limited in Japan that absent a significant change in government policy, immigration will not make up for the natural imbalance between births and deaths. For perspective, 14% of U.S. residents were foreign born in 2022, but only 1% of Japanese residents are foreign born.
SARAH SIELOFF is an urban planner and funding strategist at Haley and Aldrich.
FERNANDO ORTIZMOYA, PhD, is a policy researcher at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan.
Coast of Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, near Mitsuke Island
Rural Community Engagement
BY ROBERT JORDAN AND CADEN BENEDICT
It’s no secret that public engagement looks different from one community to another. The public engagement strategy for New York City would not lend itself well to Rawlins, Wyoming, USA. Rural communities are faced with a unique set of challenges due to their distance from major population centers. Rural communities experience a 20% higher mortality rate1 than urban communities, 23% lower incomes,2 22.3 to 50% do not have reliable broadband access,3 and 31% of rural roads are in poor or mediocre condition.4 How can rural local governments begin addressing inequities in their communities given the vast distance between them?
It is important to have a multi-faceted engagement strategy to address these challenges. Rural governments can act as engagement hubs bringing communities together with state and
federal resources. This can be done through physical community building, digital communication, and strategic decision-making between residents and local government leaders.
Challenges for Rural Communities
Three challenges that rural communities struggle with are access to healthcare, economic development, and technology opportunities. The market for these resources does not justify the startup and operational costs needed for most private sector businesses to operate. This leads to infrastructure being limited and often neglected.
Limited county/city budgets can lead to gaps in public engagement and community building. With smaller economies and greater expanses to manage, rural local governments may not have the resources to focus
on public engagement. This can have negative effects on civic participation and residents’ sense of connection and belonging.
How Can Rural Governments Solve
These Inequalities? Communication.
The key is to engage residents with an approach that helps address various challenges. First, counties and cities can act as engagement hubs bringing together community residents and leaders. Traditional methods of communication (e.g., flyers, street banners, op-eds) along with attending established community events, social media posts, or regular email updates are ways to break down barriers.
Engaging local community leaders like pastors,5 teachers, and small business leaders can help to leverage their platforms to have authentic engagement with the community. These
With smaller economies and greater expanses to manage, rural local governments may not have the resources to focus on public engagement, which can have negative effects on civic participation and residents’ sense of connection and belonging.
Comparative Advantages
With a strong digital infrastructure in place, local staff and officials can turn to ways to leverage it to their advantage and ask themselves (and the community), “What can our community offer that others cannot?”
address comparative advantages and greatest needs—whether that be developing ecotourism opportunities or increased broadband access.
Rural governments need a public engagement strategy before tackling policy issues.
leaders can be pipelines for information to their own communities and allow for local government leaders to learn important information, too. What do the parishioners, workers, and parents care about? What do they need and want to be informed about? This decentralized messaging works because these cultural and economic leaders may have a greater influence than city or county staff members.
Community Needs
With an engagement strategy in place, rural governments can think about what infrastructure improvements can help to enhance their community. For example, if they are in an area that is underserved by broadband, do the residents of the area consider it a high priority to gain access to the internet? If so, then rural governments can take steps to help facilitate conversations and
partnerships to create new possibilities for developing broadband connections.
This is how the town of McKee, Kentucky, USA, (population 800) was able to provide fiber optic internet connections to every home and business in 2014.6 This was done through a nonprofit cooperative, People’s Rural Telephone Cooperative (PRTC). Using the nonprofit model allowed the community to drive decisions based on their specific needs and leverage a unified voice to apply for federal and state resources. They received $20 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and $25 million from a combination of loan and grant funding. This has allowed for remote education for schools in inclement weather, telehealth appointments, and remote work opportunities for community members and digital nomads alike.
Environmental tourism could be one answer, and it can be an economic driver for a rural region. In Tyrrell County, North Carolina, USA, the Ecotourism Committee (TCEC) was formed between public, private, and nonprofit organizations to protect the local wetlands.7 The TCEC successfully generated $3.46 million in the local tourism economy.
Comparative advantages not only include ecotourism but can include local history and culture. Potosi, Wisconsin, USA, saw an economic revival after locals collaborated with state and federal agencies to restore a historic brewery.8 The town of 700 people received grants and loans totaling $7.5 million to bring it back to operation. The brewery reopened as the pride of the town and ultimately saved it, bringing in 70,000 people in 2012.
Conclusion
Rural governments are confronted with ongoing challenges, but with the right community engagement strategy they can begin to address these issues. An engagement strategy should help determine what the highest needs are and create greater civic participation of constituents. This strategy requires a strong coalition of individual, local, state, and federal resources to specifically
It is always important to keep in mind that change can take time. Community members may not be open to change. Projects are not always approved for state or federal grants. To solve the issues facing rural communities, they can leverage their unique comparative advantages to create the change they want to see. Persistent and clear engagement with the public on their needs is what is required for long-term success.
ROBERT JORDAN is assistant director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership at Pepperdine University.
CADEN BENEDICT is a student at Pepperdine University.
Storefronts along historic Lincoln Highway in Ely, Nevada, USA.
trekandphoto - stock.adobe.com
City-County Relations
The Importance of Collaborating on Service Delivery at the Local Level
Establishing an environment of cooperation over competitiveness is hard work, but the outcomes can be well worth the effort.
BY MARK RYCKMAN, ICMA-CM AND IAN COYLE, ICMA-CM
In New York State, counties are responsible for public health, human services, jails, and rural roads and bridges. Cities tend to focus on police, fire, recreation programs, general public works services, and water/sewer utilities. Although there are commonalities and occasional overlap, they each have distinct missions. Building effective relationships between these levels of governments can enhance services and reduce costs. Frequently, these agencies compete for resources, whether they are property taxes, state aid, grant funding, or sales tax revenues. Establishing an environment of cooperation over competitiveness is hard work, but the outcomes can be well worth the effort.
Principles of Collaboration
There are certain principles of collaboration that should be addressed in order to raise the likelihood of success. Here are some important principles that help in fostering such relationships:
Atmosphere of Respect
In the early stages of a collaborative effort, the parties should establish a foundation of mutual respect, recognizing the distinct roles and responsibilities each entity possesses. It’s important to acknowledge that different levels of government bring unique expertise and authorities to the table. By understanding and respecting these differences, as well as ensuring that each party operates within its designated area of responsibility, potential conflicts can be minimized, facilitating better cooperation.
Service delivery at the local level has been increasingly difficult over the years, as expectations from the public to provide quality, responsive service delivery seem insatiable. Providing services in partnership with other government agencies and local stakeholders has become vital to meeting the public’s expectations at a price they can afford. One of those key partnerships is between local governments and their counties. This article explores some of the key success factors to healthy city-county relations and provides a few examples from Western New York.
Mutual Benefit
Cooperative relationships work best when each party derives significant value from the arrangement. This requires each entity to clearly articulate its individual goals, thereby fostering a thorough understanding among all stakeholders involved and enhancing the likelihood that common goals can be achieved.
Transparency and Accountability
Both cities and counties should operate with transparency and be accountable to each other and to the public. This requires open and clear communication to promote the sharing of information, discussing policies, and addressing issues promptly. Reducing the agreement to writing will help avoid misunderstandings during implementation and improve accountability for all parties.
Examples From Western New York
Western New York has numerous examples of
collaborative service delivery to meet the needs of the public by drawing upon the strengths of each level of government.
Emergency Medical Services
All over New York, counties and cities are faced with the challenge of the provision of emergency medical services. Historically, these were functions carried out by a mix of volunteer fire departments, volunteer ambulance companies, nonprofit organizations, and/or private companies. As training
requirements have increased, some places have experienced a downturn in volunteerism. In other areas, the for-profits and nonprofits have pulled out and re-established their operations in other, more profitable locations. In Livingston County, a mix of for-profit departures and local ambulance challenges led to the creation of what is now a full-service, county-wide emergency medical services department replete with basic and advanced life support service, including hospital transfers. The department fields more than 6,000 calls
for service for a small rural county of 62,000. Towns are able to ensure coverage, local ambulance departments still serving their communities are supported with back-end and mutual aid response efforts, and pre-hospital care coverage is prioritized in the county.
Downtown Development
Livingston County Economic Development initiated a downtown revitalization program in 2003 with an enhanced focus on redevelopment of the central business corridors in each of the nine villages. The newly created Downtown Partnership requested buy-in from each of the villages for a nominal fee of $4,000 annually and allowed access to various programs and technical assistance offered by a dedicated downtown coordinator managed by the county’s economic development office. Over the years, this partnership has been able to offer rent subsidies, sign and facade grants, design guidelines, and entrepreneurship training programs to start or accelerate business growth.
Thus far, each of the villages has successfully implemented an award from
The city of Corning in Steuben County, New York, USA
Livingston County Courthouse, New York, USA
the New York Main Street grant program, while some have received multiple awards totaling nearly $6 million. The Livingston County Industrial Development Agency has implemented an annual community development program that has contributed just over $1 million to the region and the Restore NY state-run grant program has invested an additional $1.9 million. In 2022, Livingston County added another $1 million in ARPA dollars to fund the Extreme Makeover program, which restored dilapidated buildings and properties. The Livingston County Development Corporation funded $200,000 for a public art festival in summer 2023, which created a wall-sized mural in each of the downtown communities.
Overall, Livingston County Economic Development and the Downtown Partnership has been directly involved in 497 projects resulting in over $18 million of investment in various towns and villages.
Of that, just over $10 million of assistance was originated by Economic Development through various downtownfocused grant funding programs. As a result, over 150 commercial spaces have been renovated and 122 upperfloor residential units have been created.
Blight Removal
In 2016, the Steuben County Land Bank Corporation was established to assist communities within Steuben County in addressing the issues of blight caused by vacant, abandoned, condemned, and foreclosed properties. The board of directors consists of county and local officials working cooperatively to prioritize properties to be addressed and ensuring funding is fairly allocated throughout the county rather than being concentrated in a select few communities. This initiative has become an important tool for communities to stabilize neighborhoods, encouraging
private investment, and improving the quality of life.
In addition, Steuben County has established a program through its public works department to assist local governments with demolishing blighted properties. Under the arrangement, local governments are responsible for discontinuing all utilities to the property to be raised and paying for demolition and site restoration. The county handles the transportation of debris and waives tipping fees at the county landfill substantially reducing the cost to local governments. This initiative has allowed communities to address blighted properties that would traditionally sit vacant for several years.
Prisoner Transports
In 2019, New York State required people arrested be provided defense counsel on arraignment. The Seventh Judicial District of New York adopted a centralized arraignment plan requiring individuals arrested to be arraigned in county court rather than city, town, and village courts as had traditionally been the practice. This system was instituted to ensure defendants had representation that could not readily be provided in the traditional decentralized model. Although solving one problem, the new plan placed a financial and staffing burden on local governments to transport detained individuals to the county seat. As a solution to this problem, local governments throughout Steuben County entered into transport agreements to have the sheriff’s department conduct prisoner transports, a service that they were accustomed to and equipped to provide as the unit
of government responsible for the county jail. In order to pay for these services, Steuben County deducts the transport costs from local sales tax sharing agreements to ease the payment process.
Conclusion
In summary, cooperative arrangements, as illustrated by examples in Western New York, can mutually benefit both cities and counties if properly designed. These partnerships are most successful when founded on principles of mutual respect, mutual benefit, and transparency and accountability. Shared emergency medical services, grant writing, downtown development, prisoner transports, and blight removal can provide innovative solutions for mutual success. While not every type of service arrangement lends itself well to potential cooperation, many in fact do, and a hallmark of professionalized local government management is the seeking of efficiency measures for operational improvements. As cities and counties come under increased pressure to provide cost-effective services in an atmosphere of everincreasing complexities, these collaborative relationships can assist in meeting the public’s expectations.
DR. IAN COYLE, ICMA-CM is county administrator of Livingston County, New York, USA.
MARK L RYCKMAN, ICMA-CM is city manager of Corning, New York, USA.
Do Residents Matter Most in Reducing Crime?
To reduce crime, you need to work with the people who own the places with crime.
BY SHANNON J. LINNING, TOM CARROLL, ICMA-CM, DANIEL W. GERARD, AND JOHN E. ECK
This is the third in a series of six articles about crime reduction.
For years, police officers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, had a thorn in their side: the Klondiker Hotel, one of three hotels along a business strip.1 Residents complained that the property was riddled with crime problems, such as prostitution, drug sales and use, public intoxication, assaults, and knifings on or near the property.
The usual police responses did not work. Arrest-focused strategies caused a temporary dip in criminal activity, but crime always returned. Community-oriented policing strategies uncovered information from residents but did not provide solutions. Were there any alternatives?
Police identified the hotel’s owners. They were absentee owners who paid little attention to how the property was being managed. The police informed the owners about the corrupt staff who were
facilitating criminal activity on their property. The Alberta Liquor Board issued a suspension on their liquor license until the owners addressed problems on the property. The police arrested the corrupt bar manager. The owners hired an entire new staff and banned the drug dealers from the premises.
Once these changes were made, crime at the Klondiker plummeted. The Klondiker also experienced a 30% increase in their sales because the changes attracted more customers. And nearby businesses reported fewer crimes, such as shoplifted goods, which were being stolen to purchase drugs at the Klondiker.
In a similar example, the city of Chula Vista, California, was experiencing problems at some of its 27 motels.2 Problems ranged from drug dealing, prostitution, parolee violations, thefts from rooms, and disputes over payment. Crime analysts found that only five motels generated more than half of all calls for police service
at motels. Wanting to solve the problem, the city council decided to roll out a three-stage crime prevention strategy. In stage one, police visited the motels and educated the managers on crime prevention improvements they could make specific to their properties. In stage two, the city sent code enforcement officers to inspect whether the motels complied with the police’s requests in stage one. In stage three, the city enacted a permit-tooperate ordinance; if motels exceeded the acceptable number of calls for service to police, they were required to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the city to take appropriate corrective action.
The three-stage process was successful. The five top-tier properties generating the most calls experienced a 68% reduction in calls for police service. Mid-tier properties experienced an additional 36% reduction.
These motel examples illustrate two important facts about crime. First, residents can seldom solve these crime problems. Residentdriven approaches, such as community-oriented policing and neighborhood watch, sound good in theory but research suggests they have little ability to reduce crime.3 This is because residents almost never have control over the places experiencing crime, even if they live there.4 Second, to reduce crime, you need to get the owners of crime-ridden properties to change the way they operate their properties. This can either be physical changes to the building (e.g., fixing broken windows) or changes to how people use the property (e.g.,
employee training or setting rules for place users). In short, police and residents cannot fix broken windows, but property owners can.
But how did these cities know to incorporate property owners into their crime reduction strategies? There are two reasons. First, they understood the necessary elements of a crime. Second, they understood that one element—place managers— is the most important in reducing crime. In this article, we explain the power of place managers and how they can help you solve your city’s crime problems.
Why Do Such a Tiny Fraction of Places Have a Lot of Crime?
People tend to make two mistakes when thinking about crime. The first is that they focus on the people who commit the crimes. This often leads to the public demanding that the police make more arrests, usually leading to little change in a city’s crime rate. The second is that they focus on victims. The media tends to
focus on those who are harmed by the crimes to spark public outcries, which usually lead to demands for increased arrests or community policing, which again, seldom reduce crime. While offenders and victims are important, they only make up part of the story. People often overlook the places where crime occurs.
In 2005, Ronald Clarke and John Eck created a tool for police to understand why crime occurs: the problem analysis triangle (Figure 1).5
The inner triangle, colored in blue, depicts the necessary conditions for a crime to occur. You need a motivated offender to converge with a target at a place. A motivated offender is anyone sufficiently willing to commit a crime. A target can be a person or object—such as a car, smartphone, or jewelry— that is enticing to an offender.
A place refers to a property parcel. When these elements converge, it creates a crime opportunity. If you remove one of the elements, crime cannot occur. This is like what we learned in kindergarten about fire: if you remove heat, fuel, or oxygen, there is no fire.
The outer triangle, colored in green, depicts controllers. These are the people or organizations who influence or control the inner elements. Guardians, such as bystanders or security guards, protect targets by guarding or watching out for them. Handlers, such as parents, spouses, or coaches, have an emotional connection to offenders. Managers are the owners and operators of places.
If a single controller is present, even when the inner three elements converge, crime is unlikely to occur. Controllers have sufficient power to prevent crime. For example, if a motivated offender encounters an unlocked car in a parking lot, but there is an attendant roaming around the lot guarding the vehicles, crime is unlikely. Although, a single crime might occur if all controllers are momentarily inattentive.
Figure 1. The Problem Analysis Triangle
A place becomes a hotspot for crime when it has repeated convergence of the inner elements and consistent inattentiveness by controllers; this creates crime opportunities. As we explained in our second article of this series, while crime hotspots are rare, they generate most of a city’s crime.6 You could put “cops on dots” (hotspots policing), but the cops will have to keep returning to the dots every shift. Once police leave the hotspot, crime creeps back. And as it turns out, there is a way you can make crime problems disappear for good; you need to solve problems using place managers.7
The Power of Place Management
Place managers are the most powerful actor in the crime triangle for two reasons.8 First, they can implement crime prevention changes on their properties because they have legal authority over their places (derived from property rights). Ownership instills a right to:
• Organize space, such as the layout of a building or making repairs (e.g., the right to renovate).
• Regulate the behavior of people who use their property (e.g., no shoes, no shirt, no service).
• Control access to their property (e.g., trespassing laws and business hours).
• Acquire resources (e.g., buy property to build equity). These rights apply equally to owners of big-box stores, apartment buildings, singlefamily homes, as well as parks and public squares (i.e., the city government).
Non-owners cannot make changes to property (e.g., renters cannot renovate their
Figure 2. The Power of Place Managers
apartment units without the landlord’s consent).
Second, because of these property rights, place managers can influence all other components of the crime triangle. If the place manager of a big-box store decides to stock items that are at a high risk of theft, he is increasing the number of targets at his place. But he can simultaneously add guardians, such as hiring loss prevention or security officers, to mitigate this risk. Similarly, to reduce shoplifting, the owner of a convenience store can limit the number of teenagers who can enter the store at the same time (reducing offenders).
A shopping mall owner can implement a policy where teenagers must be accompanied by an adult at the mall on Friday and Saturday evenings (adding handlers).
But the reverse is not true. Guardians, such as security guards, do not decide which products (potential targets)
are sold in the store. And the adults (handlers) and teenaged shoppers (potential offenders) do not get to dictate a store’s or mall’s business hours, arrangements of shelving, or stocking of merchandise. Place managers are the only actor in the crime triangle who can dismantle crime opportunities by influencing all sides of the problem analysis triangle (more on this in our fifth article).
What Role Can Residents Play?
While place managers are your key actors for crime control, residents can still serve an important role in the process. A problem-solving effort in Kansas City, Missouri, illustrates this.9
For years, police officers were receiving an average of 55 calls for service per month from residents about a single dilapidated apartment building called the Creston. Its crime problems ranged from drug
dealing, thefts, and prostitution to assaults, robberies, and homicides. Officers spent hundreds of hours monitoring activity on the property trying to arrest people involved in the crimes. Violence escalated to the point that to ensure officer safety the police department had to deploy four officers every time they responded to a call at the property.
Having no success using traditional policing strategies, three officers decided to solve the problem. First, officers gave all nearby residents business cards with a number they could call anytime to report illegal activity. Second, officers conducted surveillance of the property to gather intelligence. Third, officers identified the owners of the building and tried to get them to address issues on their property. The owners refused.
Upon further investigation, the officers discovered that there was a Housing and Urban
Residents almost never have control over the places experiencing crime, even if they live there.
changes were followed by a 60% drop in calls for police service. Because the building was uninhabitable, HUD tore it down.
department and residents have no control over broken windows, literal or figurative.
Instead, ask yourself, who are the place managers? Or better yet, ask who owns the building with the broken window? And why haven’t they fixed it? By acting upon this question, you will identify the people who can dismantle crime opportunities (the subject of our fifth article). Place managers can also resolve other local government problems, such as reducing blight, preventing attractive nuisances, stopping illegal dumping, and eliminating pollution or sanitation problems.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-02200167-y
5 Clarke, R.V. & Eck, J.E. (2005). Crime analysis for problem solvers in 60 small steps. US Department of Justice. Retrieved from: https://portal. cops.usdoj.gov/resourcecenter/RIC/ Publications/cops-w0047-pub.pdf
8 Eck, J.E., Linning, S.J., & Herold, T.D. (2023). Place management and crime: Ownership and property rights as a source of social control. Springer Publishers. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-031-27693-4
9 Kansas City, Missouri Police Department (1994). Creston Apartment Project. Submission to the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. Retrieved from: https://popcenter.asu.edu/ sites/default/files/library/awards/ goldstein/1994/94-10(W).pdf
Development (HUD) lien on the building, making HUD just as responsible for the building as the owners. So, in the fourth stage, the officers began working with HUD, the fire department, and health inspector. They deemed the building uninhabitable. So, HUD took action to improve living conditions for tenants until they could find them new places to live. HUD also paid to improve security: they hired 24-hour security guards, a doorman who checked everyone’s photo identification upon entry, and installed a metal detector at the entrance. HUD also evicted drug dealers arrested by police. These
The Creston apartment building example teaches three lessons about residents. First, residents can bring problems to the police and city’s attention, raising them at public meetings or by calling the police. Second, residents can provide valuable information. Residents helped police build a case for HUD action. Third, residents are often unable to carry out solutions. Only the place manager—in this case, HUD— had the authority to improve security and living conditions in the apartment, relocate residents to more livable housing, evict drug dealers, and demolish the building.
Conclusions
We titled our article with the question, do residents matter the most in reducing crime? Our answer is no.
When a noteworthy crime happens, residents demand action. And usually, cities respond with two ineffective solutions: engaging residents and arresting more people. In this article, we showed you why these strategies have limited effectiveness. Your police
While police can facilitate problem-solving, their ability to dismantle crime opportunities is limited. And as we will show in next month’s article, this is also why having officers arrest more people is an ineffective crime reduction tactic. We will explain how you can reduce crime in your city while simultaneously reducing the number of arrests your officers make.
ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
1 Edmonton Police Service (1995). The Klondiker hotel project: hotels, crime, and problem-solving on the beat. Submission to the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. Retrieved from: https://popcenter.asu.edu/ sites/default/files/library/awards/ goldstein/1995/95-21(F).pdf
2 Bichler, G., Schmerler, K., & Enriquez, J. (2013). Curbing nuisance motels: An evaluation of police as place regulators. Policing: An International Journal, 36(2), 437-462. https://doi. org/10.1108/13639511311329787
3 Gill, C., Weisburd, D., Telep, C. W., Vitter, Z., & Bennett, T. (2014). Community-oriented policing to reduce crime, disorder and fear and increase satisfaction and legitimacy among citizens: A systematic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 10, 399-428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-0149210-y
4 Linning, S.J., Olaghere, A., & Eck, J.E. (2022). Say NOPE to social disorganization criminology: The importance of creators in neighborhood social control. Crime Science, 11(5).
SHANNON J. LINNING, PhD, is an assistant professor in the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. She researches place-based crime prevention and problemoriented policing.
TOM CARROLL, ICMA-CM, is city manager of Lexington, Virginia, USA, and a former ICMA research fellow.
DANIEL GERARD is a retired 32-year veteran (police captain) of the Cincinnati Police Department, USA. He currently works as a consultant for police agencies across North America.
JOHN E. ECK, PhD, is an emeritus professor of criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati, USA. For more than 45 years, he has studied police effectiveness and how to prevent crime at high-crime places.
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Keeping the Momentum
Four strategies for doing a professional temperature check
BY EMILY COLON
In the bustling corridors of city hall or county government offices, where decisions can change the course of community life, the deputy city manager or assistant chief administrative officer (ACAO) stands as pivotal figure. Their role is not just a title; it’s a position that carries the weight of responsibility, leadership, and, most importantly, forward momentum for local government initiatives. Let’s explore how the ACAO can do a self-assessment to maintain momentum while they navigate the complexities of their role supporting the city manager.
The ACAO’s responsibilities are vast and varied, overseeing departments such as public works, water utilities, community development, and human resources. Each department has its own set of challenges and objectives, which can often lead to competing priorities. A successful deputy/assistant must juggle these demands while keeping an eye on the bigger picture. However, a culture of continuous improvement is imperative. You’re either getting better or getting worse—there is no such thing as staying status quo. (If you think so, then this is your gentle nudge that you’re actually falling behind.)
Here are four key strategies for maintaining momentum and doing a professional temperature check as ACAO.
1. Effective Communication
EMILY COLON, ICMA-CM is deputy city manager of Lakeland, Florida, USA.
An ACAO must be an exceptional communicator. They need to convey complex ideas clearly to their organization, the elected officials, and the public. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and working toward common goals. Oftentimes this also includes translation and interpretation. The communication lines between the CAO and the ACAO need to be clear.
• When was the last time you were filmed presenting publicly and then watched it back? Yes, it is a bit painful for most of us, but you aren’t growing unless you’re uncomfortable. If you don’t have the ability to watch it back, have you asked for constructive criticism on how you could improve? Once you know, how are you planning to improve?
• When communicating a complex message across audiences, are you doing so in various formats to ensure the message is heard and understood or do you default to your preferred format to communicate?
2. Building Strong Teams
The deputy/assistant is responsible for mentoring department heads and fostering collaboration among the team. By creating a culture of teamwork, they can motivate staff to work efficiently and creatively toward city objectives. The old saying of, “You’re only as strong as your weakest link,” applies here.
• What professional development is your team doing? Have a conversation with them asking what they learned from a conference or webinar they attended. Is there an opportunity for directors to share with one another as peers?
• Do you know what each of your direct report’s professional goals are? How are you building them up to be the best version of themselves to keep improving?
• When something doesn’t go as planned, have you created a psychologically safe place for your team to download on you? Teamwork makes the dream work, and we solve problems better together.
3. Data-Driven Decision Making
Providing accurate information to support decisionmaking is critical. An ACAO uses data analytics to evaluate departmental performance and needs and make informed recommendations to the city manager. When you rely on the data and facts to make informed decisions, you remove personal bias and agendas.
• Look at high-performance organizations and see how they have systematic approaches to processes and a culture of continuous improvement. What does your organization do already? Is there something you could initiate and emulate in your community?
• Review the last position you recommended be added to your table of organization to the CAO. On what basis did you recommend it? Understand that datadriven decision making does not equal micromanaging your directors. Simply, it means “make it make sense” instead of going off a gut feeling.
4. Adaptability
The landscape of local government is ever-changing. Whether it’s responding to new legislation or addressing unexpected community needs, an ACAO must adapt quickly to maintain momentum and support their CAO.
• The last time you had to change course, did you feel more like you were playing Whac-A-Mole or chess? Maybe it’s time to take a moment to pause and zoom out to stay strategically minded.
• How do you stay informed about emerging trends and challenges in local government? Are you actively seeking out training, networking opportunities, or resources that can help you and your team anticipate and respond to changes more effectively?
The position of ACAO is not merely an administrative role; it’s a critical leadership position that drives forward momentum in local government. By effectively managing resources, fostering collaboration, and navigating challenges with adaptability, ACAOs ensure that their cities/counties thrive amid complexity.
As communities continue to evolve, the importance of strong leadership from ACAOs will only grow. Their ability to keep all stakeholders engaged and focused on shared goals ultimately shapes vibrant communities where both the local government and residents feel heard and valued. In this high-stakes environment, the ACAO truly becomes the unsung hero—keeping the wheels of local government turning smoothly while paving the way for future successes.
PROFILES OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN ACTION
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City Manager Hopkins, MN
Credentialed since September 2013
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Gandalf or Yoda?
An “old timer’s” view of the ICMA Senior Advisor Program
BY DAVE CHILDS, ICMA-CM (RETIRED)
It’s a year of milestones for ICMA: 2024 marks the 100th anniversary of the Code of Ethics, the 100th anniversary of becoming an international association, and the 50th anniversary of the Senior Advisor Program.
Looking back on my own 50-plus years in ICMA— including serving in local government in four states, participating in the ICMA International Management Exchange Program, serving as the ICMA Western U.S. director, my time as ICMA president and an ICMA Executive Board member, and now nearing 10 years as an ICMA senior advisor for Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho—I have come to understand that the milestones we’re celebrating this year represent the hallmarks of this association and set it apart from any other organization:
• The formal and intentional process of enforcing and upholding the Code of Ethics.
• The tremendous value of learning from our international peers.
• The opportunity to be guided and counseled by knowledgeable retired local government managers.
DAVE CHILDS, ICMA-CM
(RETIRED) is an ICMA senior advisor to Eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle.
This article focuses on the latter of those benefits— the ICMA Senior Advisor Program (originally known as the Range Rider Program). During my time as the ICMA Western U.S. director, I worked to promote the program in the 14 western states from North and South Dakota, Colorado, and New Mexico west to the Pacific Coast and up to Alaska. We had success in establishing the Senior Advisor Program in some states, but I was always puzzled as to why it wasn’t a program that every state association wanted to establish. (To this day, I am still a bit puzzled about that.) But one good thing I saw was that each state association had their own way of organizing their senior advisors; some programs were more formal than others, but each program was designed to meet their association’s individual needs. The one that sticks out in my mind is the Senior Advisor Program in Oregon. Not long after the ICMA Range Rider Program was established, Charlie Henry, retired city manager of Eugene, Oregon, set out to establish the program for Oregon managers. When I met Charlie in the early 2000s, the Oregon range riders had been going strong for well over two decades. What set the Oregon
program apart was the immense level of activity and personal effort that every one of their five range riders gave to their role.
Some of our younger members will not be familiar with this, but years ago there was a TV commercial for Maytag washers and dryers that claimed their appliances were so reliable that a Maytag repairman was a tremendously
lonely guy who just waited around for a repair call that seldom came. Some of the Senior Advisor programs were a bit like that. The retired manager was introduced to the members in the state as a senior advisor, and then waited around for a manager to call with a problem or issue. But it is important to note that the process of coaching, mentoring, and supporting our peers is much more about having a “relationship” with someone who you know and trust and can call on a confidential basis. Charlie Henry and his fellow Oregon range riders clearly recognized the need to proactively establish and nurture these strong relationships.
The Oregon range riders were different. They divided Oregon into assigned areas, and rather than being like Maytag repairmen,” they regularly went to city halls and
met individually with the managers/administrators in their assigned area. They did this month after month, year after year, putting in endless miles “riding their range.” They took photos and wrote detailed reports about what was happening in each of their assigned towns, and this was compiled into a gorgeous quarterly newsletter that went out to all of the members of the Oregon City Manager’s Association (now known as OCCMA).
Confidential conversations were kept confidential, but not only were the Oregon senior advisors relied upon as trusted counselors and coaches, they were (and are) a key information source for all ICMA members in the state. And that is the power of “relationships” within this program.
So, what does all this have to do with Gandalf and Yoda, who were mentioned in the title of this article?
Well, my view of Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings is that he is the “wizard on the stallion” who rides in to rally the troops and use his special powers to save the day. That is a bit like what the Range Rider Program looked like in the beginning. Understand that back then city managers were tremendously tough-minded individuals who were dealing with unbelievably hardball politics. Thus, the “wizard on the white horse” or the “gunslinger” metaphor was certainly more appropriate back then. (For context and to understand how tough these managers needed to be, I invite you to read Without Fear or Favor: Odyssey of a City Manager by Leroy F. Harlow.)
Today, by contrast, the issues faced by local government managers, in my view, are more complex and nuanced, and the predictability of “hardball politics” has been supplanted by something much more meanspirited and unpredictable. Today’s managers need a much different skillset, and accordingly, a different senior advisor approach is also appropriate.
Maybe today’s senior advisors need to be more like Yoda (the Jedi master from Star Wars). We see Yoda as a great listener who has an enormous store of knowledge, historical perspective, and hard-earned wisdom. Yoda is there to help the young Jedi grow and find themselves. And, if swinging a light saber is necessary, Yoda can be surprisingly agile.
Today’s senior advisors are an amazing resource for our members, and perhaps the term “senior advisor” (Yoda) is more appropriate today than the title of “range rider” (Gandalf). And maybe the Oregon Senior Advisor Program model still works because it is more about being a Yoda than a Gandalf.
So, I suggest that you let your own senior advisor be your Yoda. And if they haven’t reached out to you to establish a relationship, maybe you need to reach out to them to get things started. Because we all know that you can’t rush a relationship when you need one; you need to do the work beforehand. So, reach out to your Yoda. Help you, they will.
Essential Technology Budgeting
Key elements to consider
MARC PFEIFFER, an ICMA Life Member, is a marginally retired New Jersey town administrator and state agency manager. He is currently a senior policy fellow and assistant director at Bloustein Local, a unit of the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University.
(marc.pfeiffer@ rutgers.edu)
BY MARC PFEIFFER
Budgeting for technology requires careful planning, clear priorities, and hard decision-making. This guide will walk you through the key steps to creating an effective technology budget process for your municipality.
You Need a Tech Plan! Why?
Without a useable plan, you can’t manage your agency’s technology needs, resources, and risks. How you develop this plan depends on your specific circumstances, but it should balance spending, available time and effort, and competing priorities.
decision-making. Your cyber insurance carrier may be able to help with this.
4. Analyze the Gaps: After understanding the risks, compare where you are to where you want to be. What can be done to mitigate these risks? Weigh the costs of time, money, and resources to address these gaps against the costs of not acting.
Are you concerned about what a plan should look like? Ask your tech expert or an AI chatbot to provide “an outline for a <size of agency> local government technology plan.”
Just starting now? Don’t worry— it’s better late than never. Here are some considerations for planning:
This should lead to plans for upgrading equipment, acquiring software, and providing staff training. Be sure the rationale behind the plan’s goals supports the organization’s big-picture needs and that they are clear to decision-makers.
1. Have a Process: Your plan can be formal or informal, but it must ensure that risks and needs are managed effectively so that tech failures are avoided. Start by defining how the plan will be created, who is responsible for it, and when it should be completed. Whatever process you choose, it must work for your organization and staff. Involve governing body members from the beginning. This minimizes surprises and helps ensure consistent decisions over time. Next month we will talk about the public policy implications of tech.
2. Take Inventory and Set Goals: Next, take stock of the technology you have and what you want to achieve. Your tech team should maintain an inventory of hardware and software, understand existing gaps, and have a sense of future needs. It is important to know what technology tools should be owned, leased, or rented. Establish a schedule for replacing hardware and updating software licenses. Regularly evaluate if what you have meets public and user needs.
3. Understand Risks: Don’t forget to identify risks. Conduct periodic technology risk assessments that include and go beyond cybersecurity. This can be as simple as a scan of your environment. It is important to help you understand your broader organizational needs and support your
Set Priorities and Make Decisions
With your plan, balance your needs and costs against urgency and plot priorities on a timeline. This can be challenging, as team members may have different opinions about what should be addressed first. To navigate this, set up a clear process for making decisions.
Decision-making can be simple or complex, depending on your agency’s needs, but it must result in recommendations for decision-makers. Senior management should decide who participates, keeping in mind that final decisions will be made during the budget process. Participants might include senior administration, finance management, technology advisors, governing body representatives, risk manager, and users (both citizens and staff members).
To keep discussions focused, consider key questions: What are our goals? How are needs distinguished from wants? What are the risks? What is affordable? Remember, regardless of other priorities, minimum cybersecurity standards must be met or exceeded if warranted.
Ideally, governing body members and executive management should provide clear technology policy goals, awareness of key issues, and an understanding of acceptable risks. This provides direction for creating a plan that can be implemented, with some expectation of funding, when budget decisions are made.
Priorities and examples could include policy goals (e.g., installing cameras in parks), user needs (e.g., digitizing
applications), tech refreshes (e.g., replacing old laptops), or public expectations (e.g., live-streaming meetings).
Document your discussions; this will be especially useful if questions arise later. Stay open to making small improvements when needed.
Planning and flexibility will help deliver better technology services and prevent unnecessary struggles over time.
Seven Keys of Successful Tech Budgeting
Now that you have a plan and priorities, focus on the budgeting process itself.
Without a useable plan, you can’t manage your agency’s technology needs, resources, and risks.
First, remember that there’s no single best approach to tech budgeting. Whether you use a departmental or centralized approach involving a committee or individuals, adapt these steps to work for your organization.
Second, align your technology planning with your organization’s budget cycle. Keep it simple and be prepared for changes at the end of the process.
Third, set budget limits early. Give your teams a sense of realistic financial constraints from the start so they can create a viable plan tied to priorities.
Fourth, clarify who pays for what. Decide which expenses are covered by central IT and which are handled by departments. This should be clear to prevent departments
from buying incompatible technology and surprising IT with it. Surprising the tech team should never happen.
Fifth, account for cybersecurity. These costs often exceed expectations; at a minimum, tie the plan to what your cyber insurance policy requires. Focus on both employee awareness and infrastructure protection. Today paying for cybersecurity and website management are non-optional services, just like utility and insurance costs.
Sixth, balance your funding sources. Many technology costs, like software and security subscriptions, now come from the operating budget. Look to use capital budget funds when possible.
Compare co-op purchasing contracts and consider any state government-supported services. Short-term leases for equipment can help when capital funds aren’t available. Discuss these options with your CFO to minimize their impact on budget and levy caps.
Seventh, consider funding technology through grants. When applying for grants, include appropriate tech needs. Technology can be the main reason for the grant or costs are recoverable as an administrative cost. (Remember, tech is everywhere today!).
Lastly, make sure decision-makers have a basic understanding of the technology they are being asked to fund. A full range of articles focused on these issues can be found at go.rutgers.edu/tech_fitness. Make these habits a routine and review your tech plans every year.
“Strive To Thrive” with Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The array of funding programs under the BIL offers a generational chance for communities to modernize and thrive.
BY SHANE L. SILSBY
SHANE SILSBY is the CEO of Silsby Strategic Advisors and has 25 years of experience across the country, including executive level positions in the public and private sectors.
(shane@ silsby-sa.com)
As the United States embarks on a transformative journey to revitalize its infrastructure, local governments stand at the forefront of this endeavor. Created as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and signed into law in November 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) represents a monumental opportunity for cities and counties across the nation to access billions of dollars in formulaic and competitive funding aimed at addressing critical infrastructure needs. From transportation and climate resilience to broadband expansion and cybersecurity, the array of funding programs under the BIL offers a generational chance for communities to modernize and thrive in the 21st century. If annual appropriations continue to be funded by the U.S. Congress, the BIL will make available more than $1 trillion in funding for infrastructure programs across the transportation, energy, and water sectors through a combination of grants, loans, and tax incentives. Of the total spending plan, roughly $550 billion is new federal funding not previously authorized, and the BIL also reauthorizes the existing highway, public transportation, and rail programs for five years. At this point, three years—out of the total five years of the BIL—have already been funded through the annual congressional budgeting process.
BIL High-level Funding Elements
Basic Overall Funding Categories and Planned Allocations
The BIL investments are organized within the highlevel categories shown in Figure 1, along with the allocations of the nearly $550 billion in new funding.
Funding Allocation Processes
No major adjustments were introduced via the BIL to assist local agencies with direct federal funding other than increasing the total available for discretionary grant funding. Thus, the primary allocation methods are (1) formulaic distribution to the states, and (2) grants and loans directly accessible by local governments. Funding distribution is roughly 60% formulaic and 40% through grants and loans. Further
Figure 1. Funding Categories and Planned Allocations
$110 billion to fix roads, bridges, and major infrastructure repair needs
$73 billion to upgrade the electric grid and power structures
$66 billion for rail services
$65 billion for broadband
$55 billion for water and wastewater
$50 billion for flooding, coastal, and climate resiliency
$39 billion for public transit
$25 billion for airports
$21 billion in environmental cleanup/abandoned wells mitigation
$17 billion for ports and waterways
$11 billion for transportation safety
$7.5 billion for electric vehicles and charging
$7.5 billion in zero- and low-emission buses and ferries
$1 billion to revitalize communities
Note: There are more detailed breakdowns within each of these categories. The full text is available at congress.gov by searching either HR 3684 or Public Law 117-58.
representation of the funding allocation process is represented in Figure 2.
More Grant Programs for Local Governments
The discretionary funds from the BIL have been assigned to more than 120 grant programs proposed to be administered by various federal agencies. Many of the grant programs are derived from former popular programs, such as RAISE and PROTECT, while others represent new initiatives or pilot programs, such as broadband and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Most of these grant programs split funding between urban and rural areas, and planning and implementation project phases, and include a focus on improving disadvantaged communities. Information on competitive discretionary federal funding opportunities can be found on each available grant at grants.gov. Additionally,
FEDERAL
President & US Congress
FEDERAL
FEDERAL
Federal Agencies: FOR DIRECT USE STATE
Applicable State Agencies: FORMULA DISTRIBUTION
Federal Agencies: FOR DISTRIBUTION
FEDERAL
Project Implementation Branches STATE/LOCAL
Metropolitan Planning Organizations
Local Agencies: FINAL RECEIPT OF FUNDS REGIONAL
State/Local Agencies: RECEIVING GRANTS LOCAL
nonprofit sources for tracking grant opportunities and associated funding amounts can be researched through the Bipartisan Policy Center and the National Association of Counties.
As local governments gear up to harness the potential of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, strategic planning is paramount. Combining funding streams, aligning priorities, and garnering local support are essential steps toward maximizing the impact of infrastructure investments, especially for discretionary grants. State and local leaders must serve as champions to effectively guide communities through the intricacies of applying for and utilizing these funds. With a multi-year effort still ahead, the foundation laid today will shape the trajectory of future infrastructure delivery and community improvements. Waiting to act until a Notice of Funding Opportunity is released rarely allows adequate time to prepare local resources, solidify regional partnerships, initiate community engagement, authorize local match funding, and complete clearance processes to support a successful grant application. Local governments can implement strategies like establishing a multi-year capital improvement program and advanced targeting of applicable federal grant programs to increase preparedness and improve success rates. Finally, with only two
to three cycles remaining for most of the grant programs, those agencies that are better prepared are more likely to win a competitive discretionary federal grant.
Formulaic Dollars Taking the Scenic Route
Unlike the grant programs described, which can provide direct funding to local agencies, most of the nation’s formulaic dollars are still working their way through the allocation process. After being apportioned by Congress to each applicable federal agency, those agencies then pass through the formulaic funds to states based upon populations from prior census data. This is especially true of transportation dollars, and follows a longstanding trend in running the majority of federal dollars through state agencies. Then the states retain their portion (up to 60% in California) and suballocate the remainder of the funding to applicable technical agencies or to metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). In some cases, state agencies and MPOs are leveraging all of the formulaic dollars with almost no funding getting directly to cities and counties. Instead, this funding is used for regional projects or initiatives, establishment of regional grant programs, or to plus-up legacy funding programs. To access formulaic dollars,
local governments will need to be vigilant in advocacy efforts at regional and state levels to receive their fair share of funding. After all, it is the populations of the cities and counties that are used in the formulaic calculations determining the amount of funds received by each state.
Looking to the Future
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law heralds a new era of opportunity for local governments across the United States. With billions of dollars in competitive funding at their disposal, cities, towns, and municipalities have the chance to address long-standing infrastructure needs, foster economic growth, and enhance community resilience. By preparing diligently, aligning priorities, and engaging stakeholders, local governments can lay the groundwork for a sustainable and prosperous future. As they embark on this journey, the support of elected officials and community leaders will be indispensable in realizing the shared vision of rebuilding America’s infrastructure, equitably and sustainably, for generations to come.
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