Businesses measure success in margins, units shipped, and profit, but how is success in local government measured? Good governance, not profit, is the goal, and four major premises make up good governance. Adherence to these should be obvious to most any staff member or elected official, but to make these a reality is surprisingly difficult. All jurisdictions struggle at times, and inexperience, turnover, and low morale are all understandable impediments to getting it righ

When I chat with old friends in other fields, I marvel at how those who went the traditional corporate path started their careers very differently from local government staff. I’m entertained with stories of recruitment on their college campus from a Fortune 500 company, followed by a job offer followed by 3-6 months of training before they do any real work. For those of us who started as permit technicians, case managers, budget analysts, or code enforcement officers, you ha