The Municipal December 2021

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Editor’s Note

Workplaces evolve following pandemic and Great Resignation

Sarah Wright | Editor

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unicipal management is not an easy business — even in the best of times when a pandemic is not thrown into the mix. When done well, good management can often be underappreciated, going unremarked, unrewarded. A well-run city does not always catch the notice of residents, who simply enjoy the benefits. It also doesn’t always garner headlines outside association awards. However, when the well-oiled machine glitches, that is when you hear about it from constituents. Missteps — and let’s not forget potholes — become headlines.

And that’s not even touching on if a scandal or other ethic violation is uncovered.

Instilling strong ethics and transparency is vital to avoid such missteps, as is cultivating

solid supervisory employees. Leadership can staff in advertising positions. The city has sink or float any organization. Good leader- also used pay raises to draw qualified candiship can ensure quality services for residents dates. The article’s writer, Sam Kmack, shares, in addition to innovations; it can also mean “(Sharon) McDonough (interim director of the retaining quality employees versus losing Public Safety Communications Department) them. A good manager, after all, will support, credits the pay raise for her department’s value and cultivate talent. vacancy rate decrease, which dropped from Numerous industries are being impacted 45% to 34% in just a few months.” by staff shortages, and some are even noting Each municipality’s path forward will a “Great Resignation,” coined for the record be different, but a competitive edge will be rate at which Americans have quit their jobs needed to draw qualified candidates. in 2020 and 2021. FRED Economic Research In Atlantic City, N.J., city officials are develoffers a graph and data that details this shift, oping their supervisory-level employees. which is available here: https://fred.stlouis- Within this issue, writer Beth Anne Brinkfed.org/series/JTSQUR. Cox shares the city’s experiences of sending Many speculate this Great Resignation employees through Certified Public Manager will lead to major workplace shifts as work- program training and how it is impacting ers take power and expect more from their operations.

Also, in this issue, we’ll be exploring a spejobs — better pay and benefits, good managers, a nice work/life balance, etc. cial Sister City relationship between South Like other industries, municipalities have Berwick, Maine, and Tuskegee, Ala.; how faced staff shortages. In many cases, these cities are pursuing reparations; Farmington shortages began well before even the pan- Hills, Mich.’s, outstanding budget practices; demic. According to Tucson.com’s article and Elmira, N.Y.’s, efforts to enliven its resi“City of Tucson faces staff shortages, new plan dents’ lives with art. could help,” this was the case for Tucson, Ariz., Until next time, Happy Holidays! And of which is now using a consultant to develop course, Happy New Year!. recruitment strategies while assisting city

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