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.

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🔑 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

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🎧 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

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📚 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

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🗣️ 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.

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📚 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

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🗣️ 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

What really changes when you go from writing staff reports to voting on them?

In this episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann sits down with Palm Desert City Councilmember Joe Pradetto, who made the rare leap from long-time government staffer to elected official. With years of experience in legislative affairs, communications, and department leadership, Joe now finds himself on the other side of the dais.

They unpack what it takes to shift from policy implementer to policymaker—and how to do it without losing your grounding in public service.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Why Joe ran for office after more than a decade as a staffer

• What surprised him most about life on the Council

• The biggest mindset shifts when transitioning from staff to elected

• Common staff-vs-council misunderstandings and how to avoid them

• Why more government insiders should (or shouldn’t) consider running

Whether you’re a department head thinking about your next chapter, or a city manager working to build stronger relationships with your council, this episode offers practical lessons and lived experience from both sides of the dais.

Key Learnings:

• Staff experience can be a powerful asset—but only if you adopt a policymaker’s mindset

• Healthy council-manager relationships rely on mutual respect for roles and boundaries

• Running for office is about building trust and telling your story—not just proving competence

• Elected leadership requires humility, not just ambition

Featured Topics:

• Transitioning from staff to elected office

• Campaigning as a public servant

• Council-manager form of government in action

• Planning Commission service as preparation for elected roles

• Staff-council dynamics and trust-building

• Public service, work-life balance, and long-term impact

Links & Resources:

Connect with Joe Pradetto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-pradetto-aa90291a4/

Learn more about Joe as a Councilmember: https://joepradetto.com

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

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

Gov360 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z_Lr6ZiqVi8

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

Gov360 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, CityCouncil, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, CityManager, CouncilManager, StaffToElected, CampaignStrategy, CityPolitics, PalmDesert

What does it really take to lead a city with courage—especially when your path is unconventional, the budget is tight, and the stakes are personal?

In this episode, Gov360 host Chris Mann shares his guest appearance on the Courage Wise Podcast, where he sat down with Gavin Johns for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, resilience, and building a meaningful career in local government.

Together, they explore:

✅ Chris’ untraditional journey to becoming a city manager

✅ Why resilience—not perfection—is the key to lasting leadership

✅ Strategic planning lessons from turning deficits into surpluses

✅ How to build high-performing teams without micromanaging

✅ Faith, family, and finding purpose in public service

They also dive into leadership mindset—how to push forward even when you’re doubted, and why being “ready” isn’t a requirement for taking the first step.

• You don’t need a traditional path to lead in local government—you need purpose and perseverance.

• Resilient leaders build trust by facing challenges head-on.

• Strategic planning is about defining a city’s future—not just checking boxes.

• Empowered teams outperform micromanaged ones.

• The best leaders serve others and build cultures of ownership.

• Nontraditional career paths in local government

• Strategic planning in growing cities

• Budget turnaround and innovation under pressure

• Empowerment-based leadership

• Faith and family as leadership foundations

• The emotional toll—and rewards—of city management

• Organizational culture and trust-building

• Wildomar’s vision and long-range planning

• 🎙️ Courage Wise Podcast on Apple Podcasts

• 📲 Connect with Gavin Johns on LinkedIn

• 📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn

• 📬 Subscribe to the Gov360 Newsletter

• 🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts

• 🎧 Listen on Spotify

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, ResilientLeadership, PublicAdministration, StrategicPlanning, CityManagement, CivicEngagement, FaithInLeadership, CourageWise, PublicService, GovTech, TeamEmpowerment, WildomarCA

🎙️ Guest Appearance on the City Manager Unfiltered Podcast with Joe Turner

What if you could build a full recording studio in your city without touching your general fund? That’s exactly what I did—and in this episode, I explain how.

I recently joined Joe Turner on the City Manager Unfiltered podcast to unpack how cities can leverage PEG (Public, Educational, and Governmental) access funds to modernize communications, rebuild public trust, and engage the community in ways your website never will.

We cover:

✅ What PEG funds are—and why your city might be sitting on hundreds of thousands of unused dollars

✅ How we turned an underutilized office at City Hall into a studio for an award-winning podcast

✅ Why long-form content + short-form clips can outperform traditional government comms

✅ Candid lessons from launching Yucaipa 360, including one thing I might do very differently

✅ How transparency today means meeting people where they are—not hiding behind “it’s on the website”

We also dive into the leadership mindset required to thrive as a city manager, how to build resilience when facing termination risks, and that understanding the “why” behind your career matters more than ever.

🎥 Note for YouTube Viewers: This episode was recorded for an audio-only podcast, so following a video intro you’ll see a static image while the audio rolls.

🔑 Key Learnings:

• PEG funds are a powerful, underused tool—especially for digital media and council chambers upgrades.
• Professional-quality city podcasts are possible without using general fund dollars.
• Being proactive with communications builds trust, while hiding behind legal minimums erodes it.
• Authentic, long-form content can boost the perception of transparency—even if engagement is low.
• Your podcast can be an archive of helpful links to send when questions arise in the community.

🎧 Featured Topics:

• PEG funding 101
• City podcast studios
• Government transparency
• Council dynamics and communications
• Leadership mindset in city management
• Lessons from Yucaipa 360
• Developer relations & process streamlining
• Why video is the new town square

📚 Links & Resources:

• 🎙️ City Manager Unfiltered Podcast: Listen to Joe Turner’s show
• 📲 Connect with Joe Turner on LinkedIn
• 📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn
• 📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter
• 🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

🗣️ 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, PEGfunding, PublicCommunications, Gov360, GovTech, CivicEngagement, Transparency, Podcasting, Leadership, CityManagerUnfiltered, Yucaipa360

🚨 Struggling with negativity on social media? Here’s how to take back control.

🎙️ Gov360 Episode 10!

Sam Toles is back—this time in-studio—to dive even deeper into the social media crisis facing local governments and how to fix it.

A former city councilmember turned Hollywood media executive, Sam is the founder of CiviSocial and the author of two game-changing books:

📘 The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers

📗 *New this week:* The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials (forward written by Chris Mann)

💡 Whether you’re a city manager, PIO, department head, or elected official, this episode will shift how you think about public engagement—and show you a better way forward.

In this episode, Chris and Sam unpack:

• Why toxic online discourse is driving talent out of local government
• The mindset shift that empowers staff and changes the game
• How to reframe your communications around staff, not politics
• Platform-by-platform do’s and don’ts (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more)
• Why Canva flyers, press releases, and static posts just don’t cut it anymore
• The “Mary on the Trails” story and how to turn staff into community heroes
• How one city went from 30 toxic commenters to just 1 in a matter of months

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🔗 Links & Resources:

• CiviSocial: https://civisocial.com
• The Social Media Playbook for City & County Managers: https://a.co/d/4K3UdBj
• The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials: https://a.co/d/gO39KYB
• Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles1/

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

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📣 If this episode helped you, hit the like, subscribe, and share buttons to support the show and help other local government leaders find it.

Until next time...govern boldly, my friends!

“Ignoring politics doesn’t make it go away; it only makes local governments less prepared.”

In this episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann sits down with Dr. Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research and Senior Research Fellow at the Drucker School of Management, to explore how city leaders can think politically without acting politically.

They unpack why the traditional politics–policy divide holds organizations back and how governments can use politics as an early-warning system to anticipate challenges before they reach the council chambers. At the heart of the conversation is the Political Signals Memo—a simple, one-page weekly briefing that helps executive teams stay ahead of community sentiment, national narratives, and legislative ripples without crossing ethical lines.

This episode provides practical, nonpartisan tools every local government can use to prevent surprises and build trust.

🧭 What You’ll Learn:

• The difference between thinking politically and acting politically

• How political narratives influence local issues (from tax measures to national debates spilling into council meetings)

• Why ignoring online chatter or national narratives can be risky for cities

• A practical framework for creating a weekly Political Signals Memo

• How transparency and honesty build trust with the community

🔗 Featured Topics:

• The politics–policy divide in local government

• Politics as an early-warning system

• Monitoring narratives without becoming partisan

• The Political Signals Memo: format, cadence, and ownership

• Guardrails for neutrality, ethics, and public records

📌 Resources & Mentions:

• Adam’s ICMA article: “A Strict Politics–Policy Divide Is Holding Your Organization Back” → https://icma.org/blog-posts/strict-politics-policy-divide-holding-your-organization-back

• Download the Political Signals Memo Template → https://www.chrismann.us/resources

• Learn more about Probolsky Research → https://probolskyresearch.com

📩 Join the Conversation:

💬 Connect with Chris on LinkedIn

🔁 Share this episode with a colleague in local government

📧 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter on LinkedIn

🎧 Follow Gov360 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, or your favorite platform

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://youtube.com/@gov360

Tags: Gov360, CityManager, LocalGovernment, PoliticsAndPolicy, PoliticalSignalsMemo, Leadership, PublicEngagement, ProbolskyResearch, ChrisMann, GovernBoldly