It took seven years and a team of professionals to work with elected leaders to restore Lee Summit, Missouri’s AAA bond rating after a financial crisis.  

Steve Arbo, then Lee Summit assistant city manager, reflects on what the Lee Summit team did to recover from a sluggish economy in the early 2000s and the team’s success in rebuilding the city’s reserves.  The reserves had been reduced by 50 percent due to a legal settlement related to a police detective’s civil rights violations.

Arbo, now interim county executive for Jackson County, Missouri, stresses the importance of the council-manager plan to support the development of long-term strategies and sound fiscal models to ensure the community’s well being.

ICMA's Future of Professional Management Fund is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2026 and we are sharing stories about how the Fund supports professional management and the council-manager form. Arbo’s service in three different communities highlights the value of professional management. [Link to video]

Check out ICMA’s complete library of resources to support communities of all sizes seeking to retain or adopt the council manager form of local government. Resources include the new video, Council-Manager Form of Government Works Best, with testimonials from elected officials, academics, and nonprofit leaders.

Your support for the profession makes a difference. Whether you’re a regular or first-time donor, join the 40-40 campaign.

See more stories and look for more Fund-supported video drops as we approach the 2026 ICMA Annual Conference!