In Illinois, Freeport City Manager Rob Boyer recently faced down a citizen's petition to move away from the council-manager form of government and revert back to the strong mayor form.

Reeling from mismanagement and economic decline, Freeport abandoned the strong mayor form of government about a decade ago. Since that time, Rob and his two predecessors have done great work to turn the community around. In this episode, we discuss many of his and their accomplishments and how the residents and taxpayers are better off today.

But, a recent effort that appears to be tinged with political motivations sought to undo this progress and return Freeport back to the "old way" of doing business and rewarding political allies. Never underestimate the machinations that may take place behind the scenes when someone sees an avenue to create a full-time six figure job for themselves...

SHOW NOTES

Founding members of the AAME have exclusive, first priority rights to sign up for the first annual conference until February 14th. Seating is extremely limited with only 150 seats available. The conference is being held in El Cajon, California from June 25-27th. Please sign up and register in the AAME community. After the 14th, it will be opened up to anyone who wants to attend. AAME will be re-opening membership very soon. If you would like to get on the wait list you are encouraged to go to this link and sign up today: https://app.youform.com/forms/f9ulo0uh

EPISODE SPONSOR:

This episode is sponsored by Holbrook Asphalt.

Maintaining your roads is one of the most difficult tasks for any city government. The good news is the secret to making it easier is only 3 letters: H-A-5.

HA5 extends the life of roads and reduces the financial burden on taxpayers. HA5 is an innovative pavement preservation treatment trusted by over 300 public agencies. It keeps good roads in good condition, reducing repair costs and saving taxpayer dollars.

Join the hundreds of other cities making the smart choice. Choose HA5 for longer-lasting roads and a healthier budget.

Learn more at holbrookasphalt.com/city.

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:

1. 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/
2. If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
3. 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.

City managers deserve to have a professional association that will fight for them and help communicate their narrative in an environment where the deck is usually stacked against them.

In this week's episode I wanted to unpack some various advocacy efforts the American Association of Municipal Executives is currently engaged in on behalf of city managers. Not only are we engaged in direct advocacy on behalf of individuals, but we are also working to educate the public so that they have a better understanding of the perspectives and concerns city managers must weigh when determining whether to apply for a position.

SHOW NOTES

Founding members of the AAME have exclusive, first priority rights to sign up for the first annual conference until February 14th. Seating is extremely limited with only 150 seats available. The conference is being held in El Cajon, California from June 25-27th. Please sign up and register in the AAME community. After the 14th, it will be opened up to anyone who wants to attend. AAME will be re-opening membership very soon. If you would like to get on the wait list you are encouraged to go to this link and sign up today: https://app.youform.com/forms/f9ulo0uh

EPISODE SPONSOR:

This episode is sponsored by Holbrook Asphalt.

Maintaining your roads is one of the most difficult tasks for any city government. The good news is the secret to making it easier is only 3 letters: H-A-5.

HA5 extends the life of roads and reduces the financial burden on taxpayers. HA5 is an innovative pavement preservation treatment trusted by over 300 public agencies. It keeps good roads in good condition, reducing repair costs and saving taxpayer dollars.

Join the hundreds of other cities making the smart choice. Choose HA5 for longer-lasting roads and a healthier budget.

Learn more at holbrookasphalt.com/city.

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:

1. 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/
2. If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
3. 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.

Last September after mounting pressure, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) finally capitulated and settled the James Freed lawsuit a month before it was scheduled to go to trial. In this episode, we catch up with the Port Huron, Michigan city manager and see what life is like after his huge victory.

Hint: Lots of vacations with the wife. ROTFLMAO!

We also discuss the failures of his state association, the Michigan Municipal Executives, and discuss the feelings of abandonment and gaslighting he endured throughout this process. He shares how his faith and a supportive wife got him through the dark days and the numerous battles he has faced over the last seven years.

We also talk about the state of the city management profession and the challenges facing managers in Michigan.

SHOW NOTES

Link to James Freed's LinkedIn page and his municipal consulting company, Pivot Group Municipal Services

EPISODE SPONSOR:

This episode is sponsored by Holbrook Asphalt.

Maintaining your roads is one of the most difficult tasks for any city government. The good news is the secret to making it easier is only 3 letters: H-A-5.

HA5 extends the life of roads and reduces the financial burden on taxpayers. HA5 is an innovative pavement preservation treatment trusted by over 300 public agencies. It keeps good roads in good condition, reducing repair costs and saving taxpayer dollars.

Join the hundreds of other cities making the smart choice. Choose HA5 for longer-lasting roads and a healthier budget.

Learn more at holbrookasphalt.com/city.

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:

1. 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/
2. If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
3. 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.