Public-Private Partnerships is a phrase that is often overused and under supplied. In today’s economic environment, I have found that genuine partnerships are needed to achieve the return of investment, time, and energy for both the private and public sectors. Building a community, revitalizing a downtown, and creating a special place, is difficult work. Cities can grow or […]
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 great public spaces that […]
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 to forget where I came from. I even keep an […]
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 Reduction to cut $1.1 trillion over the next decade, not […]
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. Then the housing bubble burst, banks failed, retail sales plummeted, and unemployment […]
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 considering relocating there. Local public officials love to pitch the fact that they have […]
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 technological progress come from cities. The home of the knowledge economy is increasingly in large urban centres, and their […]
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 Employment Satisfaction Report Card are San Jose and San Francisco, home to five of the companies that made […]
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. Due to the transfer of my state service time and […]
Many local governments are desperate for economic development; they want their jobs in their communities. Unfortunately most local governments fail miserably at inducing business growth. Below is a simple ‘how-to’ lesson local governments can use to initiate economic development. Years ago there was a popular television series based on a father raising three sons. No, […]
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