Taylour Tedder's groundbreaking contract in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware was the talk of the city management community last week. His contract features a $750,000 home loan that is completely forgivable after 7 years of service.
Bradley Ford, the city manager for Waco, Texas, sat down with me to review and critique this amazing contract. Ford, the foremost expert when it comes to public sector executive compensation, recently formed his own niche consulting business called City Compensation. 
We take a deep dive into a contract that will have reverberations throughout the profession in this fascinating and informative episode. 
This episode is sponsored by CityManagerNews.com
SHOW NOTES:
Bradley Ford (LinkedIn Profile)
City Compensation website and LinkedIn page
Taylour Tedder's 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/
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Change my mind: Troy Body has the toughest city manager job in the country!
The Hopkinsville, Kentucky manager also has one of the most unique backgrounds in the profession.
Oh! By the way -- he is the only black manager in the state.
You are going to enjoy this interview as we learn more about why he transitioned into local government and his thoughts on accountability and delivering results at the local level.
SHOW NOTES:
Troy Body (LinkedIn Profile)
CityManagerNews.com
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.
 

Going to battle against your public safety deparment heads can be extremely perilous for a city manager, especially when you have a politically connected and entrenched police chief.
City Manager Theo Melancon was tasked with doing an operational assessment of the police departmenty by his council.
In Part 2 of my interview series, Theo outlines the process and approach he took to carryout the wishes of his governing body while also being mindful of the political and professional ramifications if he botched it and opened the door for the police chief to outflank him.
You can catch Part 1 of the interview here: Episode 45: Surviving a Domestic Violence Arrest 
SHOW NOTES:
During the interview, Theo mentioned the interview with former Topeka, Kansas city manager, Stephen Wade. You can listen to that episode here: Episode 11: Suicidal City Manager Addresses Mental Health Struggle
Theo Melancon (LinkedIn Profile)
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.
 

City manager Theo Melancon was arrested on a domestic violence charge in January 2022. Unfortunately for him, his predecessor also made controversial headlines surrounding a domestic incident.
In this powerful episode, Melancon gives us a play-by-play recounting of the events that upended his life and nearly ended his career.
We talk about his communication with his elected officials, handling the social media firestorm, and examine how his peers responded and interacted with him once the story broke.
This interview has been broken into two parts.
The planned original discussion about Melancon's battle with his powerful police chief will be presented in the second installment.
SHOW NOTES:
Theo Melancon (LinkedIn Profile)
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.
 

This is the first installment in my upcoming series of interviews with public sector executive recruiters and recruitment firms.
In this interview with Michael Boese of Clear Carer Professionals, we discuss his firm's "candidate focus" approach that emphasizes consistent and timely communication with prospective candidates.
Near the end of the interview, Boese answers a question posed by a city manager about the importance of ICMA-CM designations and how much they impact the governing body's decision when evaluating candidates.
SHOW NOTES:
Here are the links to:
Michael Boese (LinkedIn Profile)
Clear Career Professionals (website)
Clear Career Professionals (LinkedIn Page)
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.
 

Public Works Administrator Kevin Richardson messaged me about a year ago seeking career advice. This inquiry was the genesis of a new friendship and eventual "title change" designed to better reflect the role and responsibilities assigned to him at the City of Rock Hill in South Carolina.
In this episode, we illustrate the benefits of self-advocacy and discuss the importance of mentorship, especially in the context of promoting minorities up the ranks of senior leadership in the public sector. 
We also touch on the taboo topic of race and our different perspectives.
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode, Kevin mentioned the book written by Saginaw (TX) City Manager Gabe Reaume. It is called "Strangers & Angels".
Here is the link to Kevin's LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-richardson-leadership/
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.

The typical cover letter sucks. It literally hurts to read them they are so bad.
But, don't fall for the "fried ice cream" peddled by the private sector recruiters who argue that cover letters are no longer necessary. That is not true.
Every public sector executive competing for a position needs to have a cover letter and this is one of the easiest places elite candidates can differentiate themselves from their competition. 
Write a great cover letter that captures the reader's attention and you are going to stand out from the crowd. 
However, you can't write a kick-ass cover letter if you are committing one of these 8 deadly sins.
SHOW NOTES:
Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) is accepting nominations for their Top 100 Local Government Influencers list.
I would encourage you to nominate Micah Gaudet and Benjamin Effinger using this Google form or at this URL:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSZXZtVm3s6a3Tv-uixuWVxrhoq29-weAj6AWGLp0CieKv7Q/viewform
 
Micah and Ben have been guests of the podcast and you can catch their interviews here:
Ep. 24: Unlocking Veteran Benefits for Employers & Family Members with Benjamin Effinger
Ep. 14: The Only ChatGPT Course Designed for Public Sector Professionals with Micah
Ep. 07: ChatGPT: Skeptic to Believer in 30 Minutes with John Weidl & Micah Gaudet
Ep. 04: Micah Gaudet: Level Up & Use ChatGPT in the Public Sector Today
 
If you want to post a senior or executive level job in my weekly newsletter for $100, please email me at: citymanagerunfiltered | at | gmail | dot | com.
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.
 

On multiple occasions, Charlotte Colley has been the "first female" and trailblazed her away across a 20 year career in the public sector. Being the first female manager can be incredibly challenging and she has experienced some tough days.
In this episode we talk about her public sector executive journey and how her faith in Jesus Christ has given her the strength to endure and persevere. And we talk about how her career has detoured into consulting and whether or not she sees herself re-entering the profession and becoming a city or county manager once again.
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode, Charlotte talked about the following:
her consulting work with Pete Bales over at Local Gov Consultants
her work with C-Suite for Christ and leadership of the Dayton Chapter
the "Covering the World in Christ" conference March 6-7 featuring Tim Tebow
Robertson Brain Health
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.