I started my public service career and I guess that qualifies me to be called a dinosaur.  It also causes the younger generations wonder when people like me are going to retire and open up the career progression ladder for them.  Well I’m one of many who are waiting for the economy to improve and my retirement accounts to rebound and in the meantime I get to comment on the profession and state of affairs today.  Two thoughts immediately come to mind.

The first is that critics have long been saying that government should be run like a business.  I really don’t understand that one.  We should be managed like in a businesslike and professional manner, but we are not a business.   Are we supposed to offer two-for-one specials, happy hours and coupons?  Perhaps we should have a going out of business sale for jurisdictions in financial difficulty.  The fact is we are in the business of providing services that there isn’t a private sector model for.  And for the most part the costs are paid by all rather than just the consumers of the service.  I believe that a meaningful discussion of services provided; their effectiveness and how we pay for them is appropriate.  If we just run government like a business, jail recidivists would be treated like platinum level frequent flyers and be entitled to benefits on each admission.

The other area of concern is our basic governmental structure; especially at the local level.  Cities and town were created based on access to transportation routes and market places.  The original location decisions were often based on the need to organize within a day’s horseback ride of neighbors and available public facilities.  School schedules were established based on an agrarian society’s needs for labor during the planting and harvest seasons.  We need to rethink the geographical boundaries of basic municipal services:  based on the ability to reasonably provide services and taking advantage of modern technology.   Methodologies for paying for those services (i.e. taxes) need to be adjusted accordingly.  Services like education need to be provided on a schedule that makes sense today and not based on 18th century needs.

ICMA among others has been great in fostering discussions designed to improve management techniques, deal with revenue reductions, measure performance and enhance budgeting.  Perhaps these are a first step in a larger discussion that speaks to the basic organization of municipal services.