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Being a Town Manager: Never a Dull Moment

This guest article was written by Edmund M. Henschel. Life is full of surprises. When one is in a management position, they become responsible for dealing with all kinds of issues that human nature can conceive. Several years ago, I was the manager of a small town with its own emergency dispatch center. The dispatch...

Giving the Silent Majority a Voice

Today’s Morning Buzz is by Kara Roberson, Communications and Strategic Engagement Manager at the City of Wentzville, Mo. Connect with Kara on LinkedIn and Instagram. What I’m Reading: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah What I’m Watching: Just finished “Ginny & Georgia” and I thoroughly enjoyed it! What I’m Listening to: I spend way too much...

Public Government Meetings and Barriers for Participation

This article was written by Dana Healy, Executive Director of NineNorth. Connect with Dana by email or LinkedIn. I was quoted in the Star Tribune about increased civic engagement around public government meetings. Its true, NineNorth saw a 20% increase in overall viewership throughout 2020. Some zoom-based meetings had to be held twice to accommodate...

EPIC-N & ELGL Launch New Partnership Series

Capacity is always in short supply in a local government. New complex issues are constantly arising. COVID has stretched staff to the breaking point and increased pressure on local governments to respond. It’s time for some hope. EPIC-N and ELGL are excited to jointly announce a series featuring local government, community leaders, and university partners...

The New Normal Survey: COVID’s Lasting Legacy for Local Government

The New Normal Survey: COVID’s Lasting Legacy for Local Government is an opportunity to share your unique perspective as a local government leader. We want to know: what will COVID-19’s lasting legacy be on public services? Your response will help the entire local government community build a new, better normal. TAKE THE SURVEY NOW This...

Podcast: Civic Technology and Public Service with Cyd Harrell

Cyd Harrell Civic Design Consultant & Author Bio | LinkedIn | Twitter Move carefully and fix things. Cyd Harrell joined the podcast to talk about her new book, A Civic Technologist's Practice Guide. She shared her perspective on working in civic technology as a volunteer and as part of the Federal Government for 18F. She...

Small Businesses Will Remain the Hardest Hit Unless We Leverage Community Power to Economic Power

Written by Geran Wen & Elad Erdan, Colu Interested in learning more? Join Colu for a free webinar, American Rescue Plan Act: What Local Officials Need to Know on Friday, March 26. As early as April 30, approximately one month after countries around the world went into an economic lockdown, The Economist coined the term...

Mayor Funk: How Not to Screw Up Your Government's Stimulus Windfall

ELGL is proud to feature the writing and thinking of longtime member Mark Funkhouser. Here’s his latest post, and you can also sign up for his newsletter here. As state and local governments celebrate the latest federal stimulus package, I’m struck by what I heard recently from Uri Monson, CFO of the Philadelphia School District: “The...

Quantify COVID-19 Impacts, Apply for the Recovery and Resilience Planning Cohort

APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED: Many organizations have 3-5 year strategic plans, which are great for setting long-term direction and focus. But how useful were these the past 12 months? For many organizations, this past year has been challenging, not the least of which is the new operating environment in which we all find ourselves as a...

Ted Lasso’s Leadership Lessons [no spoilers]

Whereas Ted Lasso’s lessons are even more inspiring for local gov than Parks and Recreation, I proclaim (spoiler-free) Ted Lasso leadership lessons.

#ELGLKnope: Winder, GA vs. Winston Salem, NC

It’s time to vote in the #ELGLKnope Final Four! Read about this matchup, and then submit your vote! One vote per email address, please. We’ll tally the votes and will post the next round of matchups on Tuesday! Vote! Vote! Vote! Winder-Auburn Rock Quarry Winder, Georgia 30011 Three words to describe Winder-Auburn Rock Quarry: creative, partnership,...

#ELGLKnope: Athens, GA vs. Lenexa, KS

It’s time to vote in the #ELGLKnope Final Four! Read about this matchup, and then submit your vote! One vote per email address, please. We’ll tally the votes and will post the next round of matchups on Tuesday! Vote! Vote! Vote! Cedar Creek Water Reclamation Facility Athens, Georgia 30605 Three words to describe Cedar Creek...

Center for Public Service - Upcoming Programs & Opportunities

Sponsor a Public Service Fellow! As public agencies aim to increase capacity during these challenging times, short-to-mid-term fellowships can be key resources for recruiting talent. The Center for Public Service Fellowship Program at Portland State University matches candidates with public service opportunities and is designed to fill sponsor needs with exceptionally qualified and trained graduate...

Contribute to AARP & ELGL's Livable Communities Series

ELGL is partnering with AARP to launch a new Livable Communities series. This series is focused on how local gov practitioners can make communities safer and more walkable with age-friendly housing and transportation options, access to needed services, and opportunities for residents of all ages to participate in community life. We want you to tell...

The COVID-19 Workplace: Employees Want to Be Heard

This guest blog is by Robert J. Lavigna with CPS HR Consulting. The pandemic has changed how and where most of us work. With millions of employees now working remotely, including in government, organizations have struggled to communicate effectively with their employees. Even before the pandemic, communication was a major challenge to managing a remote workforce....

March Sadness? March Malaise?

Right Now with Nick Smith (Linkedin/Twitter) What I’m listening to: Lots of Fountains of Wayne recently What I’m playing: Football Manager. You haven't lived until you've coached a semi-pro soccer team to the glory of the Champions League. Like many other totally normal people, I think today should be a holiday — and yet just like...

Podcast: Changing Culture & COVID-19 Response with Raymond Gonzales, Adams County, CO

Raymond Gonzales County Manager Adams County, Colorado Bio | LinkedIn Driving culture and the pandemic one year later. Raymond Gonzales, County Manager at Adams County, Colorado, joined the podcast to talk about changing the culture in Adams County. He outlined how he scrapped the traditional Human Resources Department and implemented a People & Culture Services...

4 Lessons Learned During My First Year in Local Government

Today's Morning Buzz is by Lacey Dykgraaf, Community Engagement Specialist for the City of Newberg. Connect with Lacey on LinkedIn or Twitter. What I'm Reading: Textbooks mostly. Living that #GradSchool Life What I'm Watching: Just finished WandaVision. Big 10/10 would recommend. What I'm Listening to: My new aesthetic is "Oldies Playing in Another Room While It's...

Center for Informed Public Award for Resisting Misinformation

This $5,000 award program is offered by our friends at the Center for an Informed Public. The Center for an Informed Public is looking for individuals or organizations that have “made outstanding contributions, achievements, or bodies of work that significantly resist strategic misinformation, promote an informed society, and strengthen democratic discourse.” Local governments have been...

When “Climate Action” Isn’t Enough

Ashley Monroe, Assistant City Manager, City of Iowa City, Iowa, wrote this article as part of the Sustainability & Environment Series. Connect with Ashley on Email or Twitter. You can sign-up to write for this series, too! See all articles from this series and more on environment & sustainability. We had been working on sustainability...