Borrowing, Better: What We Learned at GGF Office Hours
From meme reuse to award submissions, here’s the good, the bad, and the nope of 'stealing ideas' in local government comms
A few weeks ago, more than a dozen of you joined the final session of our three-month pilot for GGF Office Hours. The topic? “Stealing ideas”—when it’s smart, when it’s sloppy, and when it crosses the line.
We had a great discussion, thanks in large part to our special guests: Meredith Haynes from the City of McKinney and Richard Yeakley, Communications Manager in Longview, Texas.
Richard brought the heat—and the nuance—with his “Tiers of Borrowing” framework. Here’s how he breaks it down:
Richard’s Tiers of Borrowing
Using a public meme or trending topic
✅ Obviously OK
Reworking a post or video from another city to fit your own context
✅ Obviously OK
Copying the idea, tone, or visuals closely but using it only in your own community
✅ Technically fine—but Richard always gives credit
Copying the idea and entering it for awards
⚠️ Better give credit—or better yet, collaborate
Copying the idea and publicly claiming it as original
🚫 Nope. Hard pass.
Frances La Rue from Anna, Texas, added a good gut check: If you borrow from a neighboring city and don’t give credit, you’re probably going to get caught. Why not just reach out and say, “We loved your idea—hope you don’t mind if we riff on it”?
Meredith had a smart workaround too: Give credit in the comments, not the video itself. That way you keep the post clean while still giving a nod where it’s due.
And just to be clear—it’s not just a professional courtesy. Sometimes it’s a requirement.
When you submit a project for a TAMI Award, you’re asked to affirm the following:
“While it is appropriate to derive inspiration from the work of other professionals, plagiarism is unacceptable. Please check this box to certify that all submitted entries are substantially original work from your organization.”
That should be the standard for all award submissions. If you’re borrowing brilliance, be transparent—and don’t claim a trophy for someone else’s win.
It happened to us in Round Rock. We were proud to earn second place in a national awards competition—until the following year, when another city took first with a copy of our project. Flattering? Sure. Frustrating? Absolutely.
A hot idea for shared resources
While the idea didn’t come up during our Office Hours chat, it’s something Richard is passionate about in his role as VP of Communications for the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO): creating cooperative projects that any city can adapt and use.
That spirit of shared creativity is behind the video below, a Round Rock classic we produced when I was Communications Director. It tackled a problem every city faces this time of year: getting people to follow local fireworks laws.
🎆 Watch it here: Stop the Pop!
We teamed up with nearby cities and filmed their own firefighters, in front of their own trucks, delivering short, direct messages tailored to their communities. It’s short, funny, and easy to replicate. It’s been viewed tens of thousands of times on Facebook and 7,800+ more on YouTube.
Even better? Every city featured in the video used it in their own outreach. The final scene is a fan favorite, so watch it through to the end.
And in the spirit of giving credit where credit is due: Major props to Brian Ligon and Lt. Mike Heard for putting it all together.
This is what shared work can look like in local government. Let’s do more of it.
Let’s shape what’s next for GGF Office Hours
This last session wrapped up the three-month GGF Office Hours pilot. I’ve loved hosting them, and attendance has steadily grown, but now I need your input.
🗳️ Would you like to keep Office Hours going?
🎥 Would access to recordings or recaps be a valuable perk for paid subscribers?
🧠 What topics would you like to explore in future sessions?
⏰ What time of day works best for you?
💬 What format do you prefer—informal chats, guest Q&As, topic deep-dives?
📣 Any other feedback or ideas?
Take the brief poll here:
Onward and Upward.