I have served local governments for over 27 years and I can truly say the experience and opportunity to make a difference in the lives of so many is a rewarding experience and one I would not trade. My passion, which I began to realize many years ago, was in creating...
In times such as these, many people still have a feeling that public sector employees are overpaid, underworked, and (frankly) untouchable. The reality of public service is they are not. Coming from the private sector 12 years ago to the public arena, I vowed never...
By now, we’re all aware of the dreaded sequester -- or group cuts to federal spending -- that recently went into effect. According to The Washington Post, although the sequester was originally meant to serve as an incentive for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit...
For seven years Public Works magazine has asked readers – city, county, state, special district, and township employees who oversee their community’s infrastructure assets -- how much they’re paid. The latest statistics can be found here. For some communities,...
For as long as most of us can remember the words “government employee” have been synonymous with steady, reliable employment where terms like “downsizing” and” rightsizing” seldom applied and the threat of being laid off was as remote as snowfall in Miami Beach. ...
This is the second article in a four-part series on Why Local Governments Fail at Economic Development. The first article addressed how local government officials “fail to define and sell the sizzle” that makes their community attractive for a new businesses...
Is the distinction between working in municipal, state/provincial or federal government an ever-narrowing focus to smaller geographical areas and more localized issues? No. Consider this: cities are the economic engines of a country. Innovation, research and...
MuniNet Guide a municipal research website focusing on state and local government, U.S. demographic and employment trends, public finance, and municipal bonds; highlighted a recent report on cities with the highest job satisfaction. Topping the Glassdoor...
As a person who has dedicated most of his professional life to city management, I would like to offer a perspective to managers who are nearing retirement. After having served eight years with the state of North Carolina, I transitioned to local government in 1989. ...