City Manager Unfiltered

City Manager Unfiltered is a podcast by a city manager for city managers. I am your host, Joe Turner, and I’m on a mission to build a community for ambitious city managers. I want to provide you with the career tools and resources to help make you a better executive so you can rack up victories, polish your resume, dominate interviews, land your dream job, and win your contract negotiations. If you are a city manager looking to level up, check out my podcast, City Manager Unfiltered. Hit that subscribe button today so you don’t miss an episode.
Episodes
Episodes



Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Revenge of the Public Servant with Daniel Rosemond | Ep. 12
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
This is Part 2 of my interview series with Daniel Rosemond, the former city manager for the City of Hallandale Beach, Florida. In this episode, we walk through his quest for justice on his way to winning a $4.4 million verdict from a jury.
We examine the challenges of finding legal representation, how the legal system works, and get into the nitty-gritty of lawsuits, settlements, and financial aspects of paying taxes and attorneys who work on a contingency basis.
Rosemond takes us down a road that most city managers will never travel. Don't miss it and don't forget to catch Part 3 which will be released in September.
Part 1: Death of the Public Servant
Part 2: Revenge of the Public Servant
Part 3: Betrayal of the Public Servant
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.
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.



Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Suicidal City Manager Addresses Mental Health Struggle with Stephen Wade | Ep. 11
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Topeka City Manager Stephen Wade's battle with depression and mental illness came to a head in June when he attempted suicide. Wade was a "hometown" boy done good and was only about 10 months into his tenure as city manager. After being placed on indefinite leave with pay, he would be shockingly terminated for cause about a month later.
In the aftermath of his dismissal, Wade opted to courageously share his mental health struggles publicly by granting an interview with the Topeka Capital-Journal. After reading that article I contacted Stephen and invited him to be a guest on the show, which he graciously agreed to do.
This episode features a raw, intimate, and unfiltered look at mental health, suicide, and the extreme stress and pressures city managers must endure as they lead a city and attempt to keep multiple bosses (e.g., elected officials) and stakeholder groups happy.
SHOW NOTES:During the interview, Stephen cited two sources of help that may be of value to you. This includes:The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino, and
Damon Parker and "The Jones Project"
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.



Wednesday Aug 09, 2023
Ep. 10 | Death of the Public Servant with Daniel Rosemond
Wednesday Aug 09, 2023
Wednesday Aug 09, 2023
Daniel Rosemond suffered a horrific, career-killing termination as city manager for Hallandale Beach, Florida back in 2016. It ruined his reputation, ended his career, and forever altered his view of public service -- to say nothing of the horrendous impact it has had on him and his family psychologically, emotionally, and financially.
In 2022, he was vindicated in court when a jury awarded him a $4.4 million dollar judgment after only deliberating for about an hour. But Rosemond's saga was not over. Hallandale Beach has appealed the judgment and Rosemond's journey now stretches 7 years.
In this 3-part series, we talk about the:
Death of the Public Servant,
Revenge of the Public Servant, and
Betrayal of the Public Servant
Rosemond has walked a path that most city managers will never endure, thankfully. Do not miss this special interview series. If you are like me, you will be enjoy a rollercoaster ride of emotions consisting of shock, sadness, disgust, and seething, righteous anger.
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.
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.



Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Who will hold Baker Tilly and other recruiters accountable? | Ep. 09
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Baker Tilly allowed a city manager candidate to be subjected to a computerized voice stress analysis test in Canfield, Ohio. These are supposedly "lie detector" tests, but they are really just pseudo-scientific quackery that often give inaccurate results.
This candidate was smeared and tarnished by Canfield Police Chief Chuck Colucci in the local paper where he was quoted as saying: "Those tests determined he was not the best match for the city at this time."
The obvious implication presented to the public was that the candidate failed the lie detector test.
In this episode we discuss how difficult it is to hold public sector executive recruitment firms accountable for their poor treatment of city managers. We also discuss how city managers and other municipal executives can work together to ensure that our concerns and perspectives are taken into account during the recruitment process.
SHOW NOTES:
In this podcast, we gave shout outs to three other podcasts that public sector executives may find interesting and plugged a book written by a public sector administrator. They are as follows:Brandon Holland's podcast called: "Lead Well"
Nicholas Tietsort's podcast called: "Starts Local, Ends Local"
Sean Glavin's podcast called: "WHY People"
Dylan Hayden's book called: "The Public Administrator's Guide to ChatGPT"
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.



Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
City of Weed: A Sitcom About City Manager Life with Tim Rundel | Ep. 08
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
City Manager Tim Rundel is the city manager for the City of Weed, California. He is also a documentarian and an artist. He has been working for several years to get a sitcom about a small town city manager produced. Think of a cross between "The Office" and "Parks & Recreation".
The show is called "City of Weed."
A pilot is set to be filmed in the next couple of months and a casting call has been issued. Tim talks us through the development of this show and how it came to fruition.
He also talks about his soon-to-be-released documentary about an Oklahoma subculture consisting of indivduals who use riding lawnmowers as their primary form of transportation. It is called the "B'CATS: Bryan County Alternative Transportation Society."
Along the way, Tim recounts some of the crazy situtions he encountered as the city manager for Durant, Oklahoma in this hilarious and entertaining episode.
SHOW NOTES:
B'CATS Trailer
City of Weed Comedy Series Facebook Page
Okie Noodling Documentary
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.



Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
ChatGPT: Skeptic to Believer in 30 Minutes with John Weidl & Micah Gaudet | Ep. 07
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Whitewater (WI) City Manager John Weidl was a skeptic about ChatGPT until he listened to Episode No. 4 of the City Manager Unfiltered podcast with Micah Gaudet. He literally created an account and started exploring ChatGPT during that episode and quickly realized the amazing potential and benefits of this technology.
In this podcast, we examine how he and his staff have used ChatGPT in just the last couple of weeks, why he believes his staff eagerly adopted the technology, along with some additional ways public sector executives and aspiring city managers can use ChatGPT to assist in their job search and career development.
SHOW NOTES
Comprehensive ChatGPT course for public sector employees interest form: CLICK LINK
Micah will be the instructor for an AI webinar hosted by SGR on July 25, 2023: CLICK LINK
Micah will serve as the moderator for a discussion on AI hosted by CivStart on July 27, 2023: CLICK LINK
Live Podcast & Networking event in Austin - If you are interested you need to fill out this form TODAY so we can gauge interest: INTEREST FORM LINK
Record a question for the upcoming Daniel Rosemond interview about his book "Death of a Public Servant": CLICK LINK
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.



Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
What the hell is going on in Canfield, Ohio? | Ep. 06
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
The city manager search in Canfield, Ohio raises a lot of questions that must be answered by public sector recruitment firm Baker Tilly.
This is the first recruitment I am aware of where a city manager candidate was subjected to the pseudoscientific quackery of computerized voice stress analysis. It appears to have been at the direction of Canfield Police Chief Chuck Calucci. However, Calucci stated in newspaper articles that Baker Tilly would be the one responsible for the background checks.
I believe Baker Tilly needs to terminate this contract, extricate itself from the situation, and clarify its involvement with this test.
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode I highlighted the following individuals and events:
Micah Gaudet teaching a ChatGPT webinar for Strategic Government Resources on July 25th
Maraskeshia Smith speaking at a Women Leading Government lecture series
Be on the podcast - Leave a recorded message for me
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.



Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
How to Save Money on Your Next Trash Hauling Contract | Ep. 05
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Trash hauling rates are skyrocketing across the country, but there are ways you can save your residents money by utilizing a private sector mentality as a public sector executive. In this episode, we discuss what it means to have a private sector mentality, how to acquire one if you do not have one, and ultimately, how to create an environment that promotes competition so that your residents pay less for trash services.
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.
Joe Turner's LinkedIn Page
City Manager Unfiltered YouTube Page - Subscribe Today!
Note: Page may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Joe Turner
Born and raised in Southern California, Joe Turner moved to Kansas in 2018 to pursue a career in city management after spending many years working for elected officials and engaged in grassroots advocacy.
As a non-traditional entrant into the field, he brings a unique perspective on city management and local government issues.
However, it has been his ruminations on the evolving professional landscape for city managers and his opinions on contract negotiations and compensation packages that has propelled him to the forefront as a thought leader and influencer amongst peers.
Turner has lamented the lack of advocacy on behalf of city managers as professionals and believes there is a void in this space with respect to advocating for and on behalf of public sector managers, not just the profession of city management.
You can catch up with him over on Linkedin.