City Manager Unfiltered

Latest Episodes:

Using Creative Financial Incentives to Lure High Quality City Manager Candidates | Ep. 23 Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Mortgage rates have skyrocketed and homeownership is often a liability for city managers given our short life spans and transient nature. Combined with residency requirements and rampant inflation, it can be extremely expensive for city managers to relocate for a new opportunity.

In this episode I discuss some inventive ways local governments can get creative to lure city managers to dump their sub-3% mortgage rates and relocate to a community in an environment where interest rates exceed 8%.

SHOW NOTES:

In this episode, I referenced my guest appearance with the Northeast Government Executives Council (NEGEC). You can watch my interview replay here.

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Badass Biker Chick Meets Kick-ass Council with Sara McGuffin | Ep. 22 Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

A few years back, and only a couple of years into her first town manager gig, Sara McGuffin suffered an accident that nearly ended her life, nevermind her career. In this episode we recount McGuffin's horrific experience and her recovery. We also acknowledge the loyalty and wonderful support provided by the Town of Amherst (VA) mayor and council.

In an age where personal and professional relationships are increasingly disposable, McGuffin's story proves that there are still many who are committed to "doing the right thing."

Now, what if I told you that McGuffin was permanently disabled as a result of this accident? Know this -- that accident did not rob her of her faith in God, her fellow man, or steal away her infectious optimism and all-around badassery!

McGuffin marks the first interview of a female manager on the City Manager Unfiltered podcast. And she does not disappoint. You will not want to miss this one!

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Baker Tilly Hides Dirty Secret from Hutchinson City Manager Candidates | Ep. 21 Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Reports out of Hutchinson, Kansas are that the city council is not happy with the quality of city manager candidates produced by Baker Tilly. On top of that, Baker Tilly is hiding a secret about this position and not informing the candidates it has recruited thus far.

This episode of the podcast will once again illustrate the point that Baker Tilly cannot be trusted by city manager candidates to treat them with respect or to inform them of material facts so that these public sector executives can make educated decisions for themselves and their families

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ep. 20 | No Regrets for Forced Out First-Time City Manager with Michael Rogers Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

Michael Rogers' career arc was impressive having become a well-respected public sector executive in some of the largest organizations in the nation. He had finally reached his goal of becoming a city manager -- and he was killing it.

He received glowing remarks and a salary increase in his first annual review.

But an election in the City of Tracy, Calif., brought changes to the council composition and within five months he was forced out.

Rogers has no regrets about taking the position, but he does reflect back on what he would have done differently in this insightful discussion. He owns his mistakes while minimizing his unfortunate treatment and de-emphasizing the Machiavellian "palace intrigue" that led to his ouster.

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Sound of ICMA Silence | Ep. 19 Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

The fallout from the James Freed interview is reverberating throughout the city management ecosystem. Hundreds of city managers were talking about the situation during this week's annual ICMA conference in Austin. The story received front page coverage in the Sunday edition of the Port Huron Times Herald.

City managers across the nation are furious that an orchestrated campaign to ruin Freed's career and reputation was perpetrated by the ICMA ethics staff. They are incensed by the notion that obvious conflicts of interest were not mitigated by ICMA CEO Marc Ott and that he allowed Martha Perego and Jessica Cowles to circumvent the established processes as set forth by the organization's rules of procedure.

And they are appalled that executive board members would call a peer a "douchebag" and talk about "punching him in the face" in private text messages.

But the overwhelming feedback that I have heard the most over the last several days is anger and frustation over the fact that the ICMA has refused to comment or address the issue publicly.

This episode of the City Manager Unfiltered podcast is sponsored by Pivot Group Municipal Services. If you need to fill a vacant department head position or need to find a key staff position, you owe it to yourself and taxpayers to get a free quote. Pivot Group Municipal Services have a reputation for providing quality work at very reasonable prices.

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

James Freed vs ICMA: Recording of an Assassination Attempt | Ep. 18 Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

Port Huron City Manager James Freed had never been the subject of an ethics complaint. That is until he raised concerns about the social media activities of Martha Perego, the "ethics guru" at the International City/County Management Association.

When he got a call from Perego's subordinate, Jessica Cowles, just a few weeks later, his "Spidey-sense" tingled. He asked to call her back so he could record the conversation.

He would soon find out that Cowles was attempting to investigate him for violating the ICMA Code of Ethics.

In this episode, we listen in on the conversation as the ICMA ethics team attempts to weaponize the organization's Code of Ethics and its enforcement.

SHOW NOTES:

James Freed Letter to Martha Perego

ICMA CEO Marc Ott letter to Freed Announcing Discipline of Perego

ICMA Rules of Procedure (February 2019 Edition)

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

James Freed vs ICMA: An Orchestrated Campaign to Kill a City Manager’s Career | Ep. 17 Sep 27, 2023

Show notes

James Freed sent a polite, professional letter to the ICMA ethics director in 2018. Little did he know that that letter would haunt him for the next five years as rogue staff members from the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) would wage a campaign to ruin his career, destroy his professional reputation, and deprive him of his ability to feed for his wife and children.

Freed noticed that Martha Perego, the ICMA ethics guru, used the organization's twitter handle @ICMAethics to engage in anti-Republican and anti-conservative political activity. He simply asked her to change her handle or to refrain from such activity.

Freed, an ICMA member since he was in college, cherished the organization and valued its mission statement which prohibited partisan political activity -- something Perego, the "ethics guru", knew all too well.

The retaliation was immediate and sustained. Eventually, Perego and her subordinate, Jessica Cowles, would manufacture a case against him ultimately leading to his public censure and the stripping of his certified manager credential.

He fought back and filed an anti-defamation lawsuit.

This is his shocking story.

SHOW NOTES:

James Freed Letter to Martha Perego

ICMA CEO Marc Ott letter to Freed Announcing Discipline of Perego

Port Huron City Council Letter Rebuking the ICMA

James Freed Response to ICMA Censure

James Freed Lawsuit Filing

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Betrayal of the Public Servant with Daniel Rosemond | Ep. 16 Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

We discuss the different types of betrayal former Hallandale Beach city manager Daniel Rosemond encountered throughout his ordeal in this third and final installment of our interview series.

We talk about the following:

Self-betrayal by way of our own self-delusions about our relationship and standing with our organizations as city managers
Betrayal by community leaders, friends, and colleagues
Betrayal by members of the governing body
Betrayal by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and other state and local professional associations

You will learn that the Florida League of Cities, an organization that prides itself on supporting good governance, has joined forces with Hallandale Beach and supporting its appeal of Daniel Rosemond's court awarded judgment for wrongful termination. See a copy of their amicus curiae brief below.

You will learn that there are conflicts of interest that exist between state municipal leagues and state-ICMA chapters -- and guess what -- the city managers are coming out on the losing end.

And you will learn that when Rosemond reached out to the ICMA in his time of need, the organization ghosted him and never responded to him.

SHOW NOTES:

Daniel Rosemond is the author of "Death of the Public Servant" and CEO of the East to West Development Corporation. You are invited to reach out and contact him for professional advice and consultation on affordable housing initiatives and to support him by purchasing his book.

Florida League of Cities Amicus Curiae Brief

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Strangers and Angels with Gabe Reaume | Ep. 15 Sep 13, 2023

Show notes

Gabe Reaume, a 20-something aspiring city manager harassed by tweakers stealing his laundry moves in with Joan, his best friend's 80-something grandmother. This unlikely duo form a deep bond that would shape and influence him as he became a husband, father, and eventually a city manager.

Reaume recounts this friendship in his book "Strangers & Angels" and documents his rise from Michigan farm boy to become the city manager for Saginaw, Texas, a rapidly growing city of about 25,000 in the burgeoning Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.

In this memoir filled with beautiful angels and kind strangers, Reaume courageously pulls back the curtains on his frailties and shortcomings. We join him on his journey, observe his metamorphosis, and fully immerse ourselves in the colorful tapestry of amazing characters who have influenced him. They helped shaped his infectiously positive outlook on life and love for his fellow man which ultimately serves as the foundational bedrock of his committment to public service.

But, it always comes back to Joan, the amazingly beautiful woman who loved to live, even though life could be very painful. We learn how she reinvents herself after tragedy strikes through the eyes of a young Gabe who is simply trying to find himself as he fully enters adulthood.

As we recount the life of Joan and meander through the pages of "Strangers and Angels", the seasoned veteran of city management imparts his pearls of wisdom to those aspiring to become city managers much like she imparted her priceless lessons on living and loving to Gabe -- no doubt adorned in pearls.

SHOW NOTES

Please consider supporting a fellow public sector executive and purchasing Gabe Reaume's book from this Amazon link: Strangers & Angels: Finding Family in Unexpected Places

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Only ChatGPT Course Designed for Public Sector Professionals with Micah Gaudet | Ep. 14 Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

Micah Guadet has created the first and only comprehensive course specifically designed to teach public sector professionals how to use ChatGPT to add value to their organization.

"Unlocking ChatGPT for the Public Sector" is designed to take someone with absolutely zero experience and help them become a subject matter expert on ChatGPT within their organization in just a few weekends.

Do you want to be the "go to" ChatGPT expert in your organization?
Do you want to use this powerful technology to stand out and become an indispensible asset?
Do you want absolutely crush it and populate your resume with real results and achievements?

Then "level up" and purchase this course that comes with more than 5 hours of video instructions from Micah. When you complete the course, Micah will also send you a certificate of completion so you can add your ChatGPT proficiency to your resume.

Do not miss this opportunity to add some rocket fuel to your career trajectory. It is an absolute "no-brainer" and you would be foolish to pass on this opportunity.

Don't forget to enter "CMU" as the promo code at check-out to save $50.

There are only a few "game changer" moments in your professional career. This is one of them. You have the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Don't blow it!

Enroll in this first-of-its-kind course to position yourself and your community at the forefront of AI in the public sector. You won't just learn; you'll become a pioneer in ethical AI integration.

Acquire specialized ChatGPT skills and join a cohort shaping the future of public sector communication.

By joining, you'll not only upskill but also empower your community in the evolving landscape of public administration.

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS:

Hands-on Government Applications
- Tailor ChatGPT for government use cases to drive innovation within your organization
Ethics and Integration:
- Learn how to integrate AI technologies while upholding ethical considerations and privacy standards
Flexible Learning
- The course is self-paced, allowing you to enroll now and complete it on your schedule
No prior experience required
- Go from zero to hero and learn how to unlock generative AI for the public sector

SHOW NOTES:

"Unlocking ChatGPT for the Public Sector" by Micah Guadet
Promo Code: CMU (save $50)

AAME JOB BOARD:

The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/

SUPPORT THE PODCAST:

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.

Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page

City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!

Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.