Tolerance of Toxicity in Local Government

The existence of toxic relationships is prevalent, and dare I say often deemed acceptable, within the Commissioner/Council – Administrator/Manager forms of local government.  Rare a week passes that I am not reading about another prominent local government leader resigning or being terminated after a tumultuous, and often short, period of time interacting with their elected body.

Most people know how politics works. A new regime gets elected and often the administrative personnel are turned over in an effort to get “their” people in place. Fine. That’s politics, right? But hey, why not just say that? Why is the alternative of being combative, resistant to communications, demeaning, accusatory and overall just rude, an acceptable way to attempt to remove a person from their position?

What makes it worse in states like Florida is that these “conversations” must occur in public, which equates so often to just plain public humiliation.

Financial Impacts Can Drive Poor Behaviors

Like so many things, it’s all about the money. Contracts for Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs) identify reasons for separation, typically outlined as non-performing, termination for cause and termination without cause. The without cause clause is basically a termination of convenience, which is accompanied by a predetermined severance package. Herein lies the conundrum for some unknowing newly elected change agents. They campaign on change at the top without understanding it has a price tag. Not wanting to explain the cost of doing business to the constituency, the efforts move to the next strategy: attempt to force or “encourage” a resignation.

Even when it seems that an amicable separation or resignation occurs, you may get a glimpse of the environment the administrative leader was coping with, especially when they share words like “the job has just drained me”, or “I need to consider self-care and my family”.

Granted, there are legitimate, personal reasons for people to make a decision to resign from a role. There are leaders that have navigated a successful career and resign leaving a legacy of professionalism. I applaud these leaders and remain hopeful that the legions of public servants that learned from these individuals go on to also lead with integrity and dignity.

My experience in this arena comes through personal interactions and the shared stories of hundreds of other CAOs. Having led and participated in City Manager and County Administrator Think Tanks for years, I have heard war stories from across the continent. Through Executive Coaching opportunities, I have empowered individuals through self-awareness techniques, allowing them to overcome challenges and enabling them to take charge of their future outcome. A confident leader understands there are two basic things they are cable of controlling in the circumstance, one’s own thoughts and one’s own actions. That’s it. Trying to influence, manage and mitigate the actions of others is an art, but it certainly isn’t something to insist we control.  

A Call to Action for Chief Administrative Officers

As an industry, let’s consider what tools or best practices are available to help deter bad behavior: codes of ethics, rules of decorum, contracts with penalties for release without cause. I highly recommend being part of a professional organization which offers education on how to cope, adjust and mitigate these issues. At minimum, being a part of a small circle of trusted peers that confide, energize and inspire each other can be a large benefit when dealing with ethical challenges.

I am pleased to see an evolution of some of the industry tools and best practices. Recently, ICMA has surveyed for change in their Tenets. A best practice which supported a minimum number of years someone should stay as a Chief Administrative Officer is now considered acceptable at two years. Certain circumstances can eliminate any stigma that may come from a tenure that is shorter. That’s good. Insisting individuals stay in positions that are essentially emotionally abusive or toxic relationships is downright wrong.

Perhaps the new generation of CAOs will find a way to create a culture of professionalism that does not include these acceptable behaviors of old. Above all, earning and establishing trust secures a good City Council / Commissioner and Manager / Administrator relationship. No different than any other important relationship.

Support for City Managers and County Administrators

The individual Chief Administrative Officers need support to navigate the toxic relationships, especially when it becomes a majority versus one. The time is now for the profession to speak in a unified voice. It is unacceptable to dehumanize a public servant who is committed to ethically and selflessly serving their community. It is in the best interests of communities to have a sustainable workforce led by a competent, secure professional. The industry’s professional organizations should consider ways to expedite change for the better. Some thoughts for consideration:

• Parallel the public censure process for elected bodies during blatant instances.
• Create a scorecard for communities, which offers analytics on management stability, much like Moody’s or other successful financial institutions’ ratings for risk.
• Offer education on how stability in management positively affects municipal credit ratings as well as community spirit.
• Highlight and celebrate great working relationships (between administrators and elected) especially those that have significant deliverables or contributions.

I certainly do not pretend to have the answers, but I know they’re out there.  For most, it is not acceptable to be involved in a continually toxic personal relationship. A long term, consistently toxic professional relationship between a Chief Administrative Officer and an elected individual or elected body should not be tolerated either. It benefits us to remember, there is always an ending to a job, anticipating and influencing it through our actions is the best we can do.  As we gather with our peer group during conferences, regional events and even Virtual City Manager and County Administrator Think Tanks, let’s make it a priority to share our stories, be vulnerable, give ourselves grace, and not forget to be solution oriented in our discussions.