Some thoughts on mentorship, municipal life, and the people who answer the phone Municipal work is hard, even if it doesn’t always look that way from the outside. Decisions are public. Relationships matter. Governance lines have to be respected every single day. And when things go wrong, there’s usually very little room for error and not much time to recover. For many people, it can feel like there’s no pause button. After spending a good part of my career in the municipal se

There is a well‑worn adage that there is always more work to do than resources available to do it. Local governments are no exception. Councils, administrations, and even citizens often want to do more, but municipal budgets rarely allow us to be everything to everybody. There are a few common ways governments try to resolve this tension, many of which are unpalatable. Increasing capacity by raising taxes typically meets strong resistance, and the same is true for increasing

When people hear the word governance, their eyes sometimes glaze over. It can sound formal, technical, and honestly a bit dry. But in my experience, good governance is one of the most important things behind a healthy and successful organization. The problem is that governance isn’t something you learn once and then check off a list forever. That’s why governance refreshers are so important. Over time, it’s easy for roles and responsibilities to get a little fuzzy. Board memb