Start Strong, Finish Stronger…Build Your Legacy in Public Service-I’m 62 years old, my skills are still in demand and I’m still landing interim jobs as City Finance Director, earning a salary at the top of the range. I say this only to remind younger people that hard work and preparation is key to start and finish strong in public service. Today is November… Read More »Nov 7
Building Your City’s Talent Magnet: Essential Strategies That Work-Truth is finding and keeping great people in local government has never been harder. If you’ve been struggling to fill positions or watching your best employees move on after just a couple of years, you’re not alone. Studies show that 91% of Millennials expect to stay in their jobs less than three years. That means… Read More »Oct 17
Scenario Planning: Preparing Your City for the Next 20 Years-I’m 62 years old and still working as a City Finance Director, planning for the next 20 years of the City I’m now serving. The year 2045 will take me to age 82, if God wills. The planning work that I have been doing as a City Administrator during the last 35 years has always… Read More »Oct 8
How Digital Storytelling Builds Stronger Communities-Let me ask you something, when was the last time a story truly stuck with you? The kind that pulled you in, made you feel seen, or helped you understand someone else’s world just a little better? That’s the magic of storytelling and now, digital storytelling takes that same magic and amplifies it in ways… Read More »Oct 8
How to Build Municipal Financial Sustainability During High Inflation-If you’re working in city government right now, you’ve probably felt the squeeze of inflation more than once in the past few years. Sure, inflation cooled from that jaw-dropping 9.1% back in 2022 to something that looks “manageable” at around 3.3%. But let’s not kid ourselves, those lower numbers don’t mean the pressure’s gone. You… Read More »Oct 8
Why Strong Local Government Creates Thriving Communities: A Practical Guide-Do you realize how deeply your local government shapes the routines and experiences of everyday life? It’s more than just filling potholes or keeping parks clean. It’s about the places where you live, work, and raise your family. Every time you walk through a well-maintained neighborhood, send your kids to school, or vote on a… Read More »Oct 3
Building Tomorrow’s Leaders: A City’s Guide to Authentic Youth Civic Engagement-You know what’s fascinating? Youth engagement in communities doesn’t spark on its own. It thrives when cities invite them in. When cities open real doors for young people to step in and take part in decision-making, something powerful unfolds, they don’t just show up, they show up strong. In fact, think about this: in one… Read More »Oct 3
Build “Psychological Safety” to Expand Feedback to Superiors-This article title was thought up based on a Human Resources (HR) 360 Evaluation Tool exercise that required managers to evaluate superiors and superiors to evaluate each other. As a City Finance Director with 35 years of municipal government experience, I have been through many of these management training and development exercises. Some of them… Read More »Oct 1
The Dark Truth Behind “Deadlines”: From Civil War to Modern Usage-Dark Truth Behind “Deadlines”: From Civil War to Today Have you ever stopped to think about the word deadline? We toss it around every day, racing to finish City Council agenda staff reports, audits, budgets, or juggling back-to-back tasks on our Outlook calendars. But here’s the kicker: that word you associate with stress and productivity… Read More »Sep 26
Why Does City Council Hold “Closed Session” Meetings?-Have you ever wondered why city councils sometimes meet behind closed doors? Look at the City Council agenda posted on the website of your City or Town, you will see the first part of the agenda will say “Closed Session”, or similar description. In California, we usually see Government Code Section 54956 stated on the… Read More »Sep 25
