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“Being an efficient, effective, and ethical professional local government manager means…”

Devoting oneself to the successful functioning of local representative democracy and improving the safety and quality of life and environment for tens of thousands of people annually – most of whom you will never meet. It is also one of the most gratifying and exhausting ways to make a living.

-Rod Gould, City Manager, Santa Monica, CA

That you are making a positive difference in the lives of the people you serve every day. You don't have to work at higher levels of government or at a non-profit organization to make a difference.

-Jennifer Kimball, Assistant City Manager, Rockville, MD

Being a good steward of the public’s interests. This can be done by engaging the public in policy development, conducting business in a transparent manner and using ICMA’s Code of Ethics as the floor to guide your actions, not the ceiling.

-Troy Brown, Assistant City Manager, Livermore, CA

Consistently doing the right thing all the time whether someone is watching or not.

-Ken Chandler, Former City Manager, Portsmouth, VA

Effective and Efficient Professional Managers Must Be Ethical

Being proud that the ICMA Code of Ethics is a cornerstone of our profession. I’m also committed to serving everyone in my community equally and working hard to provide local government services that are responsive and provide value to the community. It’s also important that I respect the role of the elected governing body as the policymakers in my community. I understand that my role as a manager is to make recommendations to the governing body, implement the governing body’s policies and to oversee the daily operations of the local government organization.

-Lee Worsley, Deputy County Manager, County of Durham, NC

ICMA (International City/County Management Association)

Code of Ethics

1. Be dedicated to effective and democratic local government

2. Affirm social responsibility as a public servant

3. Be dedicated to high ideals of honor and integrity

4. Serve the best interests of ALL people

5. Facilitate the work and uphold the policies of elected officials

6. Respect the role of elected officials

7. Stay out of electoral politics

8. Be competent and build a competent organization

9. Inform, engage, and serve the public

10. Resist interference that compromises your responsibility, principles and justice

11. Base treatment of employees on merit and fairness

12. Seek no personal favor or gain

Watch this video to learn about professional management

There are three levels of government...

1. Federal

Defined in U.S. Constitution

2. State

Defined in U.S. Constitution

3. Local

Dillon Rule

Characteristics of a Good Local Leader

  • Is effective, efficient, and ethical
  • Bases decisions on merit rather than patronage or special interests
  • Works to improve the quality of life and serves long-term interests of the community
  • Promotes equity and fairness
  • Recognizes the interconnection between policies (connects the dots!)
  • Achieves broad inclusiveness and citizen participation
  • Nonpartisan
  • Continually strives to improve local government operations

Professional Manager's Responsibility to the Legislative Body

  • Provide information for sound policy decisions
  • Engage in strategic thinking
  • Provide policy analysis and make policy recommendations
  • Develop a policy-oriented budget
  • Create a policy agenda and calendar
  • Engage residents in local government decision making
  • Be accountable for government operations
  • Comply with state and federal laws
  • Participate in regional bodies - cross border cooperation

*Based on "Local Government 101," a presentation developed by Ron Carlee, DPM, ICMA-CM, City Manager, Charlotte, NC

What Is the Role of Elected Officials?

  • Represent the interests of their constituents
  • Establish a vision for the community
  • Set policy
  • General oversight of government
  • Adopt the budget
  • Appoint managers or chief executive to oversee day-to-day local government operations.

Two Models of Local Government

*

Local Government 101

What Does a Local Government Do?

Local governments

  • Build and maintain roads
  • Build, maintain, and operate public schools
  • Run community centers and parks
  • Organize community events
  • Operate police and fire departments
  • Provide public transit
  • Manage public works such as water, sewage, and trash pick up
  • Provide public health care and human services

It is important to note that not every local government provides all of these services.

American Philosophy of Government

"...all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people; that magistrates are their trustees and servants and at all times amenable to them."

-Virginia Declaration of Rights, June 12, 1776

"...Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"...to secure "certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

-Declaration of Independence, adopted July 4, 1776

...building better communities through professional local government management.

Authority of U.S. Local Governments

"It is a general and undisputed proposition of law that a municipal corporation possesses and can exercise the following powers and no others:

  • first, those granted in express words;
  • second, those necessarily or fairly implied in or incident to the powers expressly granted;
  • third, those essential to the accomplishment of the declared objects and purposes of the corporation-not simply convenient, but indispensable."

-Judge John G. Dillion (1868)

Types of U.S Local Governments*

  • General Purpose
  • 3,033 Counties
  • Municipalities
  • 19,492 Cities
  • 16,519 Towns or Townships
  • Special Purpose
  • 37,381 Special Districts
  • 13,051 School Districts

*Source: Municipal Year Book 2013, ICMA

Forms of U.S. Local Government

  • Council-Manager
  • 1912 - Born out of turn-of-the-20th-century government reform movement
  • Business model focused on efficiency and effectiveness
  • Manager oversees day-to-day business of government
  • Mayor-Council
  • Political model with separation of powers between executive (chief elected official) and legislative (elected governing body) branches
  • Mayor oversees day-to-day business of government
  • Commission
  • Commissioners collectively form legislative body
  • Each commissioner is an executive, managing specific government functions
  • Town Meeting/Representative Town Meeting
  • Citizen government; limited services

What Is the Role of a Professional Local Government Manager?

Professional Local Government Managers

  • serve at the pleasure of the elected official or governing body
  • translate policy and visionary ideas into tangible results
  • develop sound approaches to community challenges
  • make policy recommendations to the council for consideration and final decision
  • align the local government’s administrative systems with the values, mission, and policy goals defined by the community and elected officials
  • develop and oversee the budget
  • supervise department heads and procure products and services

How You Can Be Part of Local Government

Now that you have learned about local government, there are many ways you can get involved!

-Observe: go to your city’s or county’s next council meeting and see what you learn from the meeting

-Shadow: contact a local government official and ask about shadowing him or her for a day

-Volunteer: contact your local Parks and Recreation department to find out about

volunteer opportunities

-Civic engagement: get appointed to a board or commission; testify at public hearings

-MA/MPP: become a professional manager; look into getting a graduate degree in Public Administration or Public Policy

-Become a student member of ICMA: for more information visit http://icma.org/en/icma/career_network/education

Visit LifewellRun.org for more information

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