Local gov peeps: It's up to us to save democracy

Good Government Files launches to share the good news of government that works

Good government happens. Too often, though, it’s hard to find those success stories. Good Government Files launches today to simplify that search. Once a week, I’ll be sharing the good news of government done right, and some insights on what it takes to succeed. Simply hit the subscribe button to receive your weekly dose of gov goodness.

The first bit of good news is this: Gallup conducts a Trust in Government survey annually, and a solid 67 percent of respondents say they trust local government a “great deal” or “fair amount” when it comes to handling local problems.

That statistic should make we local gov types feel great, but it often doesn’t feel like most of our constituents trust us, does it? Of course, it could be you recently made the mistake of reading comments about your city or county on Nextdoor. Here’s where this newsletter comes to the rescue.

Good Government Files aims to be the Ted Lasso of political Substack. Funny and heartwarming while shining a light on our better angels. Tune in weekly to feel better about the fate of humanity as you go about the noble work of effective governance. (Yes, I’m an idealist.) It’s not all First Amendment audits and food truck permitting. Consider it a kind of municipal employee therapy as well, though I’m pretty sure a subscription will never be covered by your health plan.

What I believe: Good government is hard, but it’s not rocket science. (Unless you work for NASA.) There are common elements to good government: a clear mission for the agency; getting work done in accordance with a strategic plan or infrastructure master plan (or both, ideally); clearly defined processes for tackling difficult problems; and last but certainly not least, engaging the public in ways that respect their intelligence and treat them like adults.

There will be lots of storytelling in Good Government Files because that’s how we humans best learn and retain information. We’ll have some fun, too, because that’s my style. Life’s too short and this line of work can be too much of a beat down at times not to have a laugh along the way. (Hopefully, the jokes get better than the NASA groaner above.)

Why listen to me: I spent nearly a quarter century working as the communications director for the City of Round Rock, Texas, a dynamic, high-performing government. I say dynamic because it’s been one of the fastest growing cities in the country for decades, so that means implementation of lots of controversial infrastructure projects (Yes, in your backyard is a way of life here). I say high-performing because it has the lowest combined property tax and utility rates in the region coupled with amazingly high satisfaction scores from the community. Low cost + happy citizens = high performance according to my math.

I hate to brag and say I was really good at my craft (not really; I have a huge ego but hide it well – usually), but we won lots of state and national awards during my tenure. The two most gratifying were for community engagement. One involved a long-term financial planning process that resulted in residents supporting significant property tax increases in a conservative community. I am not making this up. It will be the subject of an early post. The other was for a massive economic development project adjacent to some of the community’s most expensive neighborhoods. After 18 months of planning, multiple public meetings and more than 58,000 (!) engagements on Facebook, only one person spoke at the public hearing for the required zoning change. One. And he supported it. With enthusiasm. I am not making this up, either. Video evidence to follow in a post to come.

Here’s a sampling of some other topics I’ll be writing about:

• How to have fun on your social media channel — and why it’s important

• How to get big things done

• No one can tell your story better than you: Why you should consider creating an in-house newsroom

About the money: I’m currently offering this newsletter for free, but you can pay to support it if you find value in my weekly missives. We’re talking $5 a month, which is a rounding error in most of your budgets, especially those of you running utilities. (No finance directors are laughing right now.)

But mostly I have a burning desire to spread the good news of effective governance. I really do fear for the republic – that Gallup survey puts trust in the federal government to handle domestic problems at only 40 percent. I don’t see how we sustain a healthy democracy with a lack of confidence at that level.

Folks, it’s up to us in local government to restore faith in democracy, and I intend to show how our government institutions can function, and function well. Join me in the fight, and let me know in the comments if you’ve got a Good Government File to share.