What plagues local government?
Unveiling the turmoil in local government: Ann Mitchell explores how rising code of conduct infractions and growing incivility prompt a closer look at the pivotal relationship between municipal councillors and CAOs.
Code of conduct infractions for municipal councillors are on the rise and incivility in local government is palpable. In 2021, I completed my master’s in leadership through Royal Roads University, focusing on the relationship between the CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) or City Manager and municipal council. This research was in partnership with Municipal World magazine and was a cross-Canada study. Friction between the elected officials and the bureaucracy are not limited to any size of municipality or any one province. My specific research question was, “How do we enhance the trust and respect between CAO and municipal councillors?” My research consisted of a cross Canada survey and once themes were established, I embarked on a narrative inquiry interviewing five politicians and five CAOs from various provinces and various sized municipalities. The following are the outcomes of my research:
The role of CAO/City Manager is critical to the organization and the community they serve since they are the lynchpin between council and administration.
Role clarity between council and administration is the number one cause of discord.
Role clarity is affected by issues such as:
Council orientation
How the council code of conduct is implemented and understood
Lack of understanding from stakeholders has an impact on role clarity
Leadership on council and in the CAO/City Manager role is growing in importance due to the growing complexity of issues that are facing our municipalities.
CAO/City Manager experience is more important than a specific professional designation such as a master’s in political administration.
How council manages expectations greatly affects the CAO/Council relationship.
As a City Manager with more than 20 years of experience who came late to academia, these findings were personally illuminating and gave me greater understanding of both sides of the struggle.
The following figure provides a good picture of how interactions between the politicians and CAO or City Manager should work together.
Source: Siegel, D. and Fenn, M. (2017). The evolving role of city managers and chief administrative officers. Institute on Municipal Finance & Governance. https://www.academia.edu/32928369/The_Evolving_Role_of_City_Managers_and_Chief_Administrative_Officers
In my research and personal experience, lack of role clarity seems to have the greatest detriment to healthy relationships between council and City Manager. We must remember that role clarity can be purposefully misunderstood by elected officials and no amount of orientation will change that. Additionally, managing expectations is very high on the list. When a City Manager meets with council before their hiring, it is incumbent on both parties to clearly establish expectations. The uniqueness of the City Manager role can make this challenging. As author David Siegel stated in his book, Leaders in the Shadows, “Hiring the right CAO is probably the most important single decision that any council makes”.
Unlike CEOs, our private sector counterparts, CAOs must be chameleons as they must lead up to council, down to staff, and out to the community, and using situational leadership is a must. When council is hiring a new CAO/City Manager, it is critical that both parties are honest about their experience and fit. The organization that the City Manager is being recruited for may need a certain type of leadership at that point in its history.
With the rise of social media, our public is more engaged than ever. Thus, civility between those that set policy and vision (council) and those that implement it (City Manager) is critical, because it sets the tone not only for the entire organization but the community as well.
