Michael Rogers' career arc was impressive having become a well-respected public sector executive in some of the largest organizations in the nation. He  had finally reached his goal of becoming a city manager -- and he was killing it.
He received glowing remarks and a salary increase in his first annual review.
But an election in the City of Tracy, Calif., brought changes to the council composition and within five months he was forced out.
Rogers has no regrets about taking the position, but he does reflect back on what he would have done differently in this insightful discussion. He owns his mistakes while minimizing his unfortunate treatment and de-emphasizing the Machiavellian "palace intrigue" that led to his ouster.
 
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The fallout from the James Freed interview is reverberating throughout the city management ecosystem. Hundreds of city managers were talking about the situation during this week's annual ICMA conference in Austin. The story received front page coverage in the Sunday edition of the Port Huron Times Herald.
City managers across the nation are furious that an orchestrated campaign to ruin Freed's career and reputation was perpetrated by the ICMA ethics staff. They are incensed by the notion that obvious conflicts of interest were not mitigated by ICMA CEO Marc Ott and that he allowed Martha Perego and Jessica Cowles to circumvent the established processes as set forth by the organization's rules of procedure.
And they are appalled that executive board members would call a peer a "douchebag" and talk about "punching him in the face" in private text messages.
But the overwhelming feedback that I have heard the most over the last several days is anger and frustation over the fact that the ICMA has refused to comment or address the issue publicly.
This episode of the City Manager Unfiltered podcast is sponsored by Pivot Group Municipal Services. If you need to fill a vacant department head position or need to find a key staff position, you owe it to yourself and taxpayers to get a free quote. Pivot Group Municipal Services have a reputation for providing quality work at very reasonable prices.
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Port Huron City Manager James Freed had never been the subject of an ethics complaint. That is until he raised concerns about the social media activities of Martha Perego, the "ethics guru" at the International City/County Management Association.
 
When he got a call from Perego's subordinate, Jessica Cowles, just a few weeks later, his "Spidey-sense" tingled. He asked to call her back so he could record the conversation.
 
He would soon find out that Cowles was attempting to investigate him for violating the ICMA Code of Ethics.
 
In this episode, we listen in on the conversation as the ICMA ethics team attempts to weaponize the organization's Code of Ethics and its enforcement. 
 
SHOW NOTES:
 
James Freed Letter to Martha Perego
ICMA CEO Marc Ott letter to Freed Announcing Discipline of Perego
ICMA Rules of Procedure (February 2019 Edition)
 
AAME JOB BOARD:
The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
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James Freed sent a polite, professional letter to the ICMA ethics director in 2018. Little did he know that that letter would haunt him for the next five years as rogue staff members from the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) would wage a campaign to ruin his career, destroy his professional reputation, and deprive him of his ability to feed for his wife and children.
Freed noticed that Martha Perego, the ICMA ethics guru, used the organization's twitter handle @ICMAethics to engage in anti-Republican and anti-conservative political activity. He simply asked her to change her handle or to refrain from such activity.
Freed, an ICMA member since he was in college, cherished the organization and valued its mission statement which prohibited partisan political activity -- something Perego, the "ethics guru", knew all too well.
The retaliation was immediate and sustained. Eventually, Perego and her subordinate, Jessica Cowles, would manufacture a case against him ultimately leading to his public censure and the stripping of his certified manager credential. 
He fought back and filed an anti-defamation lawsuit.
This is his shocking story.
SHOW NOTES:
James Freed Letter to Martha Perego
ICMA CEO Marc Ott letter to Freed Announcing Discipline of Perego
Port Huron City Council Letter Rebuking the ICMA
James Freed Response to ICMA Censure
James Freed Lawsuit Filing
 
AAME JOB BOARD:
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SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.
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We discuss the different types of betrayal former Hallandale Beach city manager Daniel Rosemond encountered throughout his ordeal in this third and final installment of our interview series.
We talk about the following:
Self-betrayal by way of our own self-delusions about our relationship and standing with our organizations as city managers
Betrayal by community leaders, friends, and colleagues
Betrayal by members of the governing body
Betrayal by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and other state and local professional associations
You will learn that the Florida League of Cities, an organization that prides itself on supporting good governance, has joined forces with Hallandale Beach and supporting its appeal of Daniel Rosemond's court awarded judgment for wrongful termination. See a copy of their amicus curiae brief below.
You will learn that there are conflicts of interest that exist between state municipal leagues and state-ICMA chapters -- and guess what -- the city managers are coming out on the losing end.
And you will learn that when Rosemond reached out to the ICMA in his time of need, the organization ghosted him and never responded to him.
SHOW NOTES:
Daniel Rosemond is the author of "Death of the Public Servant" and CEO of the East to West Development Corporation. You are invited to reach out and contact him for professional advice and consultation on affordable housing initiatives and to support him by purchasing his book.
Florida League of Cities Amicus Curiae Brief
AAME JOB BOARD:
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Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.
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Gabe Reaume, a 20-something aspiring city manager harassed by tweakers stealing his laundry moves in with Joan, his best friend's 80-something grandmother. This unlikely duo form a deep bond that would shape and influence him as he became a husband, father, and eventually a city manager.
Reaume recounts this friendship in his book "Strangers & Angels" and documents his rise from Michigan farm boy to become the city manager for Saginaw, Texas, a rapidly growing city of about 25,000 in the burgeoning Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex.
In this memoir filled with beautiful angels and kind strangers, Reaume courageously pulls back the curtains on his frailties and shortcomings. We join him on his journey, observe his metamorphosis, and fully immerse ourselves in the colorful tapestry of amazing characters who have influenced him. They helped shaped his infectiously positive outlook on life and love for his fellow man which ultimately serves as the foundational bedrock of his committment to public service.
But, it always comes back to Joan, the amazingly beautiful woman who loved to live, even though life could be very painful. We learn how she reinvents herself after tragedy strikes through the eyes of a young Gabe who is simply trying to find himself as he fully enters adulthood.
As we recount the life of Joan and meander through the pages of "Strangers and Angels", the seasoned veteran of city management imparts his pearls of wisdom to those aspiring to become city managers much like she imparted her priceless lessons on living and loving to Gabe -- no doubt adorned in pearls.
 
SHOW NOTES
Please consider supporting a fellow public sector executive and purchasing Gabe Reaume's book from this Amazon link: Strangers & Angels: Finding Family in Unexpected Places
 
AAME JOB BOARD:
The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.
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Micah Guadet has created the first and only comprehensive course specifically designed to teach public sector professionals how to use ChatGPT to add value to their organization. 
"Unlocking ChatGPT for the Public Sector" is designed to take someone with absolutely zero experience and help them become a subject matter expert on ChatGPT within their organization in just a few weekends. 
Do you want to be the "go to" ChatGPT expert in your organization?
Do you want to use this powerful technology to stand out and become an indispensible asset?
Do you want absolutely crush it and populate your resume with real results and achievements?
Then "level up" and purchase this course that comes with more than 5 hours of video instructions from Micah. When you complete the course, Micah will also send you a certificate of completion so you can add your ChatGPT proficiency to your resume.
Do not miss this opportunity to add some rocket fuel to your career trajectory. It is an absolute "no-brainer" and you would be foolish to pass on this opportunity.
Don't forget to enter "CMU" as the promo code at check-out to save $50.
There are only a few "game changer" moments in your professional career. This is one of them. You have the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Don't blow it!
Enroll in this first-of-its-kind course to position yourself and your community at the forefront of AI in the public sector. You won't just learn; you'll become a pioneer in ethical AI integration.
Acquire specialized ChatGPT skills and join a cohort shaping the future of public sector communication.
By joining, you'll not only upskill but also empower your community in the evolving landscape of public administration.
COURSE HIGHLIGHTS:
Hands-on Government Applications
Tailor ChatGPT for government use cases to drive innovation within your organization
Ethics and Integration:
Learn how to integrate AI technologies while upholding ethical considerations and privacy standards
Flexible Learning
The course is self-paced, allowing you to enroll now and complete it on your schedule
No prior experience required
Go from zero to hero and learn how to unlock generative AI for the public sector
SHOW NOTES:
"Unlocking ChatGPT for the Public Sector" by Micah GuadetPromo Code: CMU (save $50)
AAME JOB BOARD:
The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.
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On August 11, City of Marion police officers and Marion County deputies raided the office of the Marion County Record newspaper; the home of its co-owners, Eric Meyer and his 98 year old mother, Joan Meyer; and the home of Marion vice mayor Ruth Herbel, 80.
Joan passed away the following day with many attributing her death to the stress of the raid.
The unprecedented raid sent shockwaves throughout the journalism community and generated international headlines for the small town of just 2,000 people.
In this episode with Eric Meyer, we dissect the events that transpired, examine the players and possible motivations behind the raid, and discuss whether he will file lawsuit(s) against the city over the illegal raid and death of his mother.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Kari Newell, Restaurant Owner
Owner of Chef's Table restaurant, previously owned by Tammy Ensey 
Currently using Tammy Ensey's liquor license which expired on August 28th
Convicted of 2008 DUI
Been driving without a license for last 14+ years
City of Marion Police Department is alleged to have known this
Newell is in the process of seeking a liquor license and obtaining support from the Marion City Council
Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody
Veteran police officer with KCMO - about 24 years
Was earning $115,000, but left to become the police chief in Marion for $60,000
Never served as a police chief before
Hired in May 2023
Alleged to dislike Eric Meyer and the Marion County Record
Marion City Administrator Brogan Jones
First-time city administrator who recently graduated with an MPA from Wichita State University
Does not have the power to hire/fire/suspend police chief
Marion Mayor David Mayfield
Alleged to dislike Eric Meyer and Marion County Record
Marion Vice-Mayor Ruth Herbel
Alleged to be an ally/supporter of Eric Meyer and the Marion County Record
Marion County Attorney Joel Ensey
Tammy Ensey's brother-in-law
Unknown if he saw probable cause affidavit before Judge Viar signed off on the search warrant
Judge Laura Viar
Marion County Record Publisher/Co-owner Eric Meyer
Marion County Record Report Phyllis Zorn
Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi
Pam Maag - Kari Newell's ex-friend who tipped off the newspaper
Known to have provided documents to Marion County Record regarding Kari Newell's driving record and this was confirmed in probable cause affidavit written by Chief Gideon Cody
Was never interviewed before the search warrant nor was a search warrant apparently requested for her home
SHOW NOTES:
Probable Cause Affidavit
AAME JOB BOARD:
The American Association of Municipal Executives has a free job board exclusively focused on executive and senior level local government recruitments. To post a job, go to: https://jobs.aame.org/
SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter hosted on LinkedIn. It is called the "City Manager News & Job Board" newsletter and can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/city-manager-rtrs-job-board-7164683251112992768/
If you would like to support the podcast by making a donation, please use the "Buy Me A Coffee" link.
Please rate and review the podcast on Apple or your preferred platform if you enjoy the show. It helps tremendously. But more importantly, refer your friends and peers to podcast through personal conversations and posts on your social media platforms.
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Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.