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 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.



Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Micah Gaudet: Level Up & Use ChatGPT in the Public Sector Today | Ep. 04
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Micah Gaudet is a deputy city manager for the City of Maricopa (pop. 63,000) overseeing all public safety operations. Maricopa is the second fastest growing city in Arizona and the 12th fastest growing city in the United States.
Micah has quickly carved out a niche as one of the leading voices on the usage of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence in the public sector. In this episode, he provides real world examples on how you can use this incredible technology to immediately add value in the workplace and put your career trajectory on a rocketship! No fluff or theory. We're talking real world applicability you can use today!
During the interview, I challenged Micah to put together a comprehensive, multi-week course specifically designed for public sector professionals. What better way to learn how to use ChatGPT than by a public sector professional who is actively using it.
Please fill out this form if you are interested in learning more about a ChatGPT course,
Find Micah Gaudet on Linkedin and at his YouTube channel.
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 Jun 21, 2023
Why Cities Should Pay for Spouses to Travel on Job Interviews | Ep. 03
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
City and county governments expect their newly hired manager to be "all-in" and make a significant investment in their community. This often includes a residency requirement as a condition of acceptance. Yet, many employers refuse to pay the travel expenses of the candidate's spouse during the recruitment process.
Host Joe Turner recounts a recent recruitment experience where his wife's travel expenses were not reimbursed and he articulates why he believes local governments should happily pay for a candidate's spouse to travel to the interview.
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 Jun 14, 2023
The Most Important Objective During Contract Negotiations | Ep. 02
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Getting the job offer is exciting, but you can't let emotions get in the way of negotiating a great contract for you and your family. In this episode, I talk about the different types of risks we face as city managers and public sector executives.
I also discuss why we have contracts, the most important contract provision, and articulate what I believe to be the most important objective for every city manager during contract negotiations.
Show Notes:
Copy of former El Paso City Manager Tommy Gonzalez' Contract
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.