What keeps city managers going when the pressure, politics, and public scrutiny feel relentless?

In this special holiday episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann revisits a candid, wide-ranging conversation with Joe Turner, founder of the American Association of Municipal Executives and host of the City Manager Unfiltered podcast, and Will Kolbow, City Manager of Calimesa, California.

Originally recorded as part of the award-winning Yucaipa 360 podcast, this discussion remains as timely today as when it first aired. Together, these three city managers reflect on the realities of the profession, the different paths that lead to the city manager’s chair, and why—despite the risks and sacrifices—local government leadership still matters.

From unconventional career journeys and first-time city manager experiences, to executive compensation, public trust, misinformation, and the evolving role of podcasts in government communication, this episode offers an honest look at what it really means to lead in local government.

Whether you’re early in your career, sitting in the city manager’s chair, or questioning whether the profession is still worth it, this conversation provides perspective, encouragement, and reassurance that you’re not alone.

⸻

🔑 Key Learnings:

• There is no single “right” path to becoming a city manager

• The city manager works for the City Council, not directly for the public

• Executive leadership in local government carries significant personal and professional risk

• Strong financial and organizational fundamentals are critical to successful city management

• Long-form communication builds trust in ways press releases and social media cannot

• City managers need stronger peer support, advocacy, and professional community

• Despite the challenges, local government leadership can be deeply fulfilling and impactful

⸻

🎧 Featured Topics:

• Traditional vs non-traditional paths to city management

• The council-manager form of government explained

• First-time city manager realities and learning curves

• Being fired, career resilience, and professional recovery

• Executive compensation and public perception

• Why city managers need advocacy and support networks

• The rise of podcasts as a public communication tool

• Combating misinformation and social media toxicity

• Why local government work still matters

⸻

📚 Links & Resources:

🎙️ City Manager Unfiltered Podcast (Joe Turner): https://www.citymanagerunfiltered.com

🏛️ American Association of Municipal Executives (AAME): https://aame.org

📲 Connect with Joe Turner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/citymanager/

📲 Connect with Will Kolbow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-kolbow-icma-cm-8801098/

📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76

📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817

🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614

🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

⸻

🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

Until next time, govern boldly my friends.

Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Gov360, PublicService, MunicipalLeadership, CouncilManager, CityManagement, Leadership, PublicAdministration, CityManagers, GovPodcast, LocalGov

City and county managers carry an extraordinary weight—public pressure, political conflict, community expectations, nonstop crises, and the quiet fear of what could go wrong next. Most of that burden stays hidden from view.

But not today.

In this special episode of Gov360, we flip the mic. Guest host Sam Toles, Founder & CEO of CiviSocial, steps into the host chair and interviews four veteran public sector leaders—Amanda Mack, Michael Paulhus, and Gov360’s own Chris Mann—in one of the most candid roundtables ever recorded on this show.

This is not a policy discussion — it’s an honest conversation about the emotional, relational, and ethical burdens of leadership in the council–manager form of government.

You’ll hear the panel dive into:

✅ The constant fear of getting fired — and how that pressure affects decision-making

✅ How public expectations, media narratives, and the “fear of missing something” weigh on CAOs

✅ The emotional toll of dealing with challenging elected officials and high-stakes moments that stay with you

✅ The tug-of-war that comes from having experience as both an elected official and an administrator — and how that shapes expectations

✅ Why understanding the public’s perspective is essential to guiding and mentoring staff through difficult situations

The group also shares powerful insights for leaders at every level:

1. Build strong relationships early — trust equity makes the hard moments survivable.

2. Stay grounded in your values — especially when fear starts driving choices.

3. Embrace vulnerability — acknowledging fear helps leaders refocus and make better decisions.

4. Understand the political-administrative divide — especially if you’ve served in both roles.

5. Support your peers — several panelists note that these pressures are universal among managers.

This episode is for you if:

• You’re a city manager, county manager, or any local government professional navigating political pressure or organizational strain.

• You’re a councilmember seeking to understand what your manager carries behind the scenes.

• You’re an emerging leader considering whether you’re ready for the responsibility of the “big chair.”

• You’re feeling the weight of leadership and need to know you’re not alone.

The conversation ends with a call to strengthen professional culture — to create environments where managers can be honest about the pressures they face, where support is intentional, and where courage isn’t punished but expected.

⸻

📚 Links & Resources:

Connect with:

Sam Toles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles1/

Amanda Mack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-mack-empa/

Michael Paulhus: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltpaulhus/

Check out Sam's company, CiviSocial: https://civisocial.com

And Sam's new book, The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials: https://a.co/d/8cOsOea

📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/

📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817

🎥 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/I8iAfjx633U

🎙️ Listen to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614

🎧 Or on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

⸻

🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, CityManagement, CouncilManager, ResilientLeadership, LocalGovLife, SamToles, AmandaMack, MichaelPaulhus

If you work in local government long enough, you’ll face public criticism. That comes with the territory. But what happens when it stops being about policy and becomes about you—your name, your reputation, even your livelihood?

In this solo episode of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann shares a deeply personal story of facing an organized, relentless campaign to drive him out of his role. For two years in Yucaipa, California, an anti-growth group targeted him with disinformation, weaponized public comment, hostile Facebook groups, public records requests, and political pressure on the city council.

This is not theory. This is what cancel culture looks like inside city hall.

Chris walks through the emotional, professional, and ethical tightrope of leading under attack—and what it takes to come out the other side with clarity, courage, and conviction.

• Cancel culture in local government is slow, coordinated, and often hidden behind a veneer of legitimacy

• Being targeted is often the result of doing your job well in a politically volatile environment

• Ethics rules can trap city managers in silence when they become the story

• Trust equity must be built long before misinformation begins

• Leaving is not weakness—sometimes it’s a strategic reset

• What “cancel culture” looks like for city managers and senior staff

• How organized opposition movements weaponize public processes

• The psychological, family, and career impact of becoming a target

• The city manager’s ethical dilemma when false narratives spread

• Why councils often stay silent when attacks escalate

• Five strategies for surviving and leading through a smear campaign

• How the profession can create healthier council–manager dynamics

• Hope and perspective for leaders currently “in the storm”

• Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/

• Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817

• Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614

• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa

Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.

TAGS: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, CancelCulture, CityHall, CityManagement, CouncilManager, ResilientLeadership