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#LocalGovWire: An ELGL/Route Fifty News Experiment

We recently switched the Morning Buzz from a news roundup format, to an original content format. This was a big change for us, because for a long time, sharing the morning's local government news headlines was something that ELGL took a lot of pride in. And, after we made the switch, we heard from some...

How to get your Organization to Fly Together

By Rebecca Woodbury and Andrew Hening, City of San Rafael In my last Morning Buzz, Judi Brown and I wrote about the beginnings of an innovation and engagement initiative called Together San Rafael. Today, my co-author is Treager List Top Influencer, Andrew Hening, San Rafael’s Director of Homeless Planning & Outreach. Andrew is shepherding our guiding principles process for this initiative. After...

Great Books in Michigan

By Jacob Johnson, UServeUtah Today we're buzzin' about great books and Michigan. Recently I returned from a trip to visit my wife's family in Novi, Michigan. While there, I visited the public library and picked one of my new favorite books: Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Paton writes of his home, South...

Innovating Local Government from the Inside Out

By Rebecca Woodbury, City of San Rafael & Judi Brown, CivicMakers The City of San Rafael, like many city governments, faces growing challenges related to public trust, community satisfaction, and employee morale. With a structural budget deficit paired with increased demand for modernized services by residents, the status quo and “business as usual” is no longer a sustainable option. (Sources: Pew,...

How to Influence Local Government (When the Ball Is Passed, Be Ready to Shoot)

We asked "what are specific actions for increasing your influence on the local level?" ELGL has responded swiftly and specifically. Podcast: Reason for Running We talk running for City Council with Sara Eskrich, Alder for District 13 of Madison, WI, and Hannah Lebovits, candidate for University Heights, OH City Council. They discuss why they wanted...

How to Influence Local Government (Even More Responses)

We asked, "what are specific actions for increasing your influence on the local level?" ELGL has responded swiftly and specifically. Our latest entry comes from Josephine Gatti Schafer, Assistant Professor, Kansas State University (Twitter). Add your ideas by sending them to kent@elgl.org. Here are a few specific actions for answering the call to action. Advocate for policy...

Opportunity Knocks — How to Influence Local Government (More Responses)

We continue to receive additional suggestions for building influence locally. Kris Schaeffer (Twitter) is the latest to share suggestions. You can share your thoughts by send an email to kent@elgl.org. My mantra: Create a great place to live, work, play and learn. Identify key advocacies that are important to your town and you. Focus on these rather...

Opportunity Knocks — How to Influence Local Government (a response)

Dr. Benjamin Clark (LinkedIn and Twitter) is on the faculty of the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management at the University of Oregon as an assistant professor. In this article, he expands on the opportunities to make a difference locally. Previously, he wrote an M-Word Beat-Down. Kent Wyatt, the ELGL Co-Founder (find him on LinkedIn...

Six Opportunities to Influence Local Government

By Kent Wyatt, ELGL Co-Founder, City of Tigard, OR, LinkedIn and Twitter Whether you attended the Women's March or voted for Donald Trump, we can agree that government is entering a critical phase. All levels of government face a retiring workforce, aging technology, and a resistance to change. The challenges facing government coincide with the...

My New Year's Resolution for ELGL Is...

Updated 12/29 Here's a running list of your resolutions for us. Create a Burning Issues page, so that members can post a single urgent or hot item in need of advice and/or solutions that other ELGL'ers can offer. Listen more, talk less Keep up the good work! It sounds cliche, I know, but it is...

Konferencing in KCMO: Circle of Life

During the ICMA Conference, my running blog, the Confidential will be maintained in this post. For those just joining us, in the Confidential, I highlight at least one thing that will make you laugh, cry, and think. "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day....

ELGL at the Beach: #NCLGBA16 in a Single Tweet

ELGL is visiting Wrightsville Beach for the North Carolina Local Government Budget Association (NCLGBA) summer conference. In this column, ELGL co-founder Kent Wyatt will reflect on the experience. By Kent Wyatt - LinkedIn and Twitter July 15 Props Huge props to NCLGBA for hosting an excellent conference. NCLGBA is a professional association independent of GFOA, ICMA,...

ELGL - Engaging Local Government Leaders

Engaging the brightest minds in local government. We are innovative local government leaders with a passion for connecting, communicating and educating.

What I Am with Emily Morrison, Knox County, OH

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Welcome to our new member feature. We’ve all heard the excuse “I’m too busy” so we’ve simplified our feature to illicit short, meaningful responses for our new members. As a side note, ELGL is adamantly opposed to the excuse, “I’m too busy.”

Podcast: Lets Get Ethical, Local Government Staff Debate ICMA's Two Year Guideline

Tim Wolff Lake Isabella, MI LinkedIn Matt Yager Plano, TX LinkedIn | Twitter Mike Ekey Raymore, MO LinkedIn | Twitter Ben DeClue Lebanon, MO LinkedIn | Twitter This week the GovLove team sits down with Tim Wolff (Lake Isabella, MI), Matt Yager (Plano,TX), Mike Ekey (Raymore, MO) and Ben DeClue (Lebanon, MO) as they...

What do you read?

Inquiring ELGL minds want to know - what do you read? (We assume you're unlike Jeb Bush and get your news from more sources than Fox News and ESPN...) We continue to strive to make the Morning Buzz the best source of local government news for you. So, we want to hear from you: what...

Knope of the Week: Ben Kittelson, Guilford County, NC

Can Do Attitude. Focused. Beard Brother. Former Willamette University football star and ELGL leader Ben Kittelson (LinkedIn and Twitter) is moving to North Carolina to begin work as a budget analyst in Guilford County. As you read this, he is driving across country with his brother. If we know Ben, he's probably riding shotgun, wearing...

Mark Stotik, Clackamas County Assistant Director, Employee Services

Intelligent. Astute. Snarkapotamus http://youtu.be/Ng_-HgRfGBY Mark Stotik, ELGL advisory member and Clackamas County staffer, is the runaway winner of the Knope of the Week. We honor Mark this week as he prepares to leave Clackamas County to move to Denver, Colorado. Mark has been a core ELGL member from the beginning. He has hosted ELGL...

Scratchin' a Public Service Itch

Join ELGL: Free for Students; $30 for Individuals; $230 for Organizations The Leadoff What did you say? A prank on an unsuspecting baseball player lasted more than a month. Watch the video and you will never feel stupid again. Article: Entire Minor League Team Pranks Jeff Francoeur into Thinking Teammate Is Deaf http://youtu.be/2llUpTmIkdc Hat...

Knope of the Week: Bruce Katz, Co-Author of The Metropolitan Revolution

What is the Knope of the Week? It’s our way of recognizing an individual or group of individuals who have excelled in promoting the public sector. Recipients may come from the public or private sector and are nominated by ELGL members. Recipients receive an incredible amount of recognition and prizes that we are not at...