WHAT CITY HALL NEEDS FROM ITS NEW FINANCE DIRECTOR – Part II View in PDF   Podcast     Video Thank you for coming back for Part II of the 3-part series on the topic of “What City Hall needs from its new Finance Director”. This CitySpeak episode is all about the top 10 goals a Finance… Read More »

WHAT CITY HALL NEEDS FROM ITS FINANCE DIRECTORS PART 1 View in:  PDF   Podcast     Video Finance Directors have been retiring in droves from City Halls throughout our country. This is an excellent time for ambitious young people who want a career in financial management to step up and compete for the Finance Director… Read More »

HELP CITY MANAGER ON-BOARD NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS Next month thousands of new City Council members and Board of Directors will be taking the oath of office and be sworn in as the powerful elected officials who will represent the millions of Americans at local communities across the United States of America. Many of these Council… Read More »

WORK FROM HOME (WFH): NEW NORM FOR MUNICIPAL WORKERS  Read PDF     Podcast and Video The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic surprised most people in the world in March 2020. This includes leaders at City Hall and other municipal and local government organizations. And although City Hall and other government offices had to close their doors to… Read More »

WHAT DOES RECESSION FEEL LIKE AT CITY HALL?    Read in PDF     Listen in Podcast or Video What do the years 2008-2009, 2000-2001, and 1990-1991 have in common? These are periods of recession, economic downturns, right? Do you remember what it felt like at City Hall during these recessions, if you lived through any… Read More »

THINK LONG-TERM, REWARDS ARE GREATER! It was a sunny chilly morning in December in Hemet, California some 30 years ago. I can still see myself, sitting there in an unassuming yet comfortable office chair next to a modest wood conference table. I remember being proudly dressed in my new navy blue suit, white shirt, and… Read More »

MILLENNIALS REINVENTING GOVERNMENT . . . FROM THE INSIDE OUT This blog article is NOT about politics, or about reinventing government politically (from the outside in). It’s also NOT about state or federal government administration. Plus, I’m NOT going to be reading the report card of Baby Boomers who have been in charge of government… Read More »

WHY CHOOSE A CAREER IN MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT? Listen to Podcast There are so many careers to choose from in life. Some statistics say you will change careers 5-7 times during your working life. Younger people will change jobs more frequently than older people. But regardless of where you are now, I encourage all of you… Read More »

3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD STAY OUT OF POLITICS AS A MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE I received a great piece of advice years ago from a former City Manager about working in municipal government as a first-time Director. He told me that you have to budget your words. He said: “Don’t say everything. Speak very little.” The… Read More »

3 Steps to Redesign Your System When Layoffs Loom “It’s a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose your own.” – Harry S. Truman This quote from the thirty-third president of the United States, some 70 years ago, is never more relevant than today. While we’re not in a… Read More »