Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Ep. 40 | The Impending Collapse of Fire/EMS Service in America with Tim Nowak
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



Saturday Feb 17, 2024
John Bariou Wants to Recall Entire City Council Over Strong Mayor | Ep. 39
Saturday Feb 17, 2024
Saturday Feb 17, 2024
SHOUT OUT SATURDAY (SOS): San Angelo resident John Bariou wants to recall the entire city council because they have violated the charter and undermined the council-manager form of government. The central Texas community of 100,000 people will get an opportunity to "vote the bums out" in just a few short months if Bariou gets his way.
He believes the mayor has violated the charter, run roughshod over the city manager, and injected herself into areas of responsibility that rest with the city manager.
Because of a quirk in the city charter, Bariou only needs to gather a shockingly low number of signatures for many of the councilmembers. In fact, as little as 47 signatures for one elected official who represents more than 15,000 residents.
Bariou makes his pitch for the recall on this special episode of the podcast where I use my platform to spotlight interesting local government stories across the country and personal passion projects of public sector employees.
SHOW NOTES:
You can find John Bariou and his recall effort on Facebook at the San Angelo Citizens for a Law Abiding City Council page.
If you would like to be featured on a future "Shout Out Saturday" episode, please drop me an email 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.



Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Use My Simple Hack to Customize Your Resume for Specific Jobs | Ep. 38
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
It is easy to send a custom resume that is specifically tailored to the job you are applying for if you follow my simple hack. Don't sell yourself short and send the same resume to every job.
Differentiate yourself and demonstrate how you are the solution to their problem by using my system.
When you build a results oriented, custom resume that illustrates how you are the perfect fit for the job, you are going to get more offers and be able to negotiate a higher salary.
SHOW NOTES:
Fill out this form to nominate Micah Gaudet to be an ELGL Top 100 Local Government Influencer.
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 Feb 07, 2024
If At First You Don't Succeed, Try Again with Jordan Cook | Ep. 37
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Jordan Cook didn't even get an interview the first time he tried to land a city administrator gig in Nevada, Iowa. But, on the second go around he not only got an interview -- he got the job.
In this episode we discuss perseverance, mental toughness, and talk about the state of public sector executive recruiting. We also extoll the virtues of the Midwest and talk about how aspiring city managers can turbocharge their career trajectory by exploring small town options.
Jordan Cook's 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.



Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Did Aransas Pass Expose Itself to Public Comment First Amendment Lawsuit? | Ep. 36
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
The Aransas Pass police department recently removed two public speakers from council chambers after they hurled numerous vulgarities and profane language at members of the governing body and city staff.
Did they violate the First Amendment rights of these individuals and expose the taxpayers to a lawsuit?
One of the men booted from the meeting is a civil rights attorney who claims the city did violate his rights and the rights of his clients. I have contacted this attorney and plan to have him on a future episode of the podcast to discuss this issue in more detail.
If you would like to ask a specific question of this attorney, please use my SpeakPipe app to record your message and I will play it on the air. Go to this link to record your question.
What would you have done if these two individuals spoke like this during your public meeting?
SHOW NOTES:
Here is a link to the new YouTube channel for the City Manager Unfiltered podcast. Please subscribe to the channel today.
You can also view the YouTube videos associated with this podcast episode here:
Part 1
Part 2
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 Jan 24, 2024
Sticking Up for Stanley Hawthorne in College Park, GA | Ep. 35
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
City manager Stanley Hawthorne was wrongfully fired with cause by just two members of his governing body. It was amateur night in Georgia on January 16, 2024 when Councilman Joe Carn rushed through this vote over the objections of Mayor Bianca Motley Broom.
In this episode, I breakdown the tape and show how these unprofessional councilmembers voted to silence Hawthorne and prevent him from speaking during his termination. I also reveal how childish they were when none of them accepted the gavel from Mayor Broom so that she could make a public statement from the dais.
Tune into the end to find out if Mr. Hawthorne is vindicated. Hint: This story has a happy ending.
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode I discussed Stanley Hawthorne's "Resignation & Release Agreement."
You can view the YouTube video I made about Hawthorne's termination here.
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 Jan 17, 2024
Why are ICMA Exec. Board Members Dodging FOIA Requests? | Ep. 34
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
Wednesday Jan 17, 2024
A disgruntled ICMA spouse is submitting public information requests across the country and ICMA executive board members are stonewalling and blocking these requests. Why?
In this episode we talk about the increasing levels of scrutiny the ICMA is facing as a result of my podcast and LinkedIn posting. And we also highight various executive board members across the country who are refusing the respond to these FOIA requests or requiring multi-thousand dollar payments in order to gather the information.
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode I talked about my new donation/supporter link. If you are interested in supporting the podcast with a one time or monthly recurring donation, please visit this link.
I also introduced my new YouTube channel. Please subscribe today.
I spoke about Micah Gaudet's ChatGPT course and how it is without question the best value for those wanting to level up.
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 Jan 10, 2024
Disgruntled ICMA Spouse, Crappy Salaries & 2023 Year In Review | Ep. 33
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
A disgruntled spouse of an ICMA member emailed me in December to express their frustration with staff salaries and the luxurious international travel junkets enjoyed by organizational executives and the executive board members.
A city manager vents to me about the crappy salary listed in a job recruitment brochure.
And I take a look back at my LinkedIn and podcast stats for 2023 and compare my performance against that of the ICMA and Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL).
SHOW NOTES:
In this episode I introduced a new donation/supporter link. If you are interested in supporting the podcast with a one time or monthly recurring donation, please visit this link.
Link to the City Manager Unfiltered podcast press release inviting Pacific Grove (CA) Councilman Luke Coletti to come on the podcast.
Daniel Rosemond is the author of "Death of the Public Servant".
Link to top 10 podcast episodes in 2023.
Link to top LinkedIn posts in 2023.
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 Jan 03, 2024
Threats of Violence Forces Cancellation of City Manager Interview | Ep. 32
Wednesday Jan 03, 2024
Wednesday Jan 03, 2024
Former Fort Meade City Manager Jan Bagnall declined to be interviewed for the second part of our interview series after receiving multiple threats since our first interview aired on December 13th, or Episode 29.
On New Year's Day, I received an email from a stranger named Greg King. I would later learn that he was the campaign manager for Jaret Williams, who one his Fort Meade commission race in November.
I was unsure how to proceed and a little concerned based on some of the things Bagnall had shared. However, I was uncomfortable putting just one-side of the story out there without giving the "other side" equal time to make their case.
So, I decided to respond to King's inquiry and we discussed the situation in Fort Meade on the phone. I recorded the call and feature it in this episode of the podcast.
We also discussed the impending arrival of Pat Oman, the incoming city manager who was recently hired by the governing body without he input and consideration of Mr. Williams.
SHOW NOTES:
In the introduction, I mentioned Mark Moses book: The Municipal Financial Crisis.
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.