Tim’s Thoughts May 2024
As spring and budget season blossoms into full swing I am hopeful that you have had an opportunity to enjoy the newness that come with it. I am also hopeful that you will be able to join us at our summer conference in Virginia Beach June 5th-7th. Melissa Rollins, County Administrator, Surry County, and Carl Rush, Chief Equity officer, Loudoun County along with help from VLGMA 3rd Vice President Danny Davis have put together an outstanding agenda that you will not want to miss. So be sure to get registered early and I look forward to seeing you there.
I am pleased that another one of our Senior Advisors, Joe Paxton, has shared thoughts with the group this month.
Joe's professional experience spanned thirty-eight plus years with Rockingham County beginning with a management internship in January, 1978, and later served as purchasing and accounting officer, Director of Finance, Assistant County Administrator, and Deputy County Administrator. He was appointed County Administrator by the Board of Supervisors effective January 1, 2004, and served in this role until his retirement on July 1, 2016.
Joe is a member of several professional organizations, including a life member of the International City/County Management Association and Virginia Local Government Managers Association, and served as President of the Virginia Government Finance Officers Association in 1989. He received a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Political Science from James Madison University in 1978, and a Master of Business Administration degree from JMU with a concentration in Finance in 1983. He completed the Senior Executive Institute at UVA in 2000.
Joe’s thoughts:
Thank you to Tim for the opportunity to share some thoughts on local government today, and the values and practices that helped me during my tenure.
“All politics is local; and “local government is the closest to the people” are truisms that impact the life of local county, city, and town managers every day. Whether it is at the grocery store, attending a child’s event at school or a “quiet’ night out on the town to celebrate an important day or event for you and/or a member of your family, it is often difficult to get away in your home community. Closest to the people is an everyday occurrence; understand that and be as gracious as possible (even when others may make that difficult), and in the long run it will help you be successful. Growing up in a city manager family, we also were taught to understand that everything we did was seen by someone 😊, and in a small city, EVERYONE knew my parents (or at least it seemed that way)! It was a challenge living under that scrutiny, but looking back on it, it was somewhat comforting, as the community looked after its own.
Today’s managers and their families face a different reality; that of a polarized community where often, neighbors are taking sides to win or “get someone”, rather than trying to create a “community”. Social media makes everything instant, and reactions may often be based on at best half the facts. Granted there are these and other challenges– such as the reality of work life during COVID and the public service pressures of a rapid increase in immigration – that I did not face to the same degree during my work life, but there have always been challenges that push us and provide opportunities for managers to be leaders in our communities. As I have attended VLGMA and ICMA meetings since retirement, I have been impressed by the persons in our profession today, and encourage you to lean on your profession to assist you as you progress in leadership positions.
Core values are the standards by which we, as managers, must hold on to for us and more importantly, our community, to be successful. As I think back on my time in government service, it is these core values that were instilled in me by my parents, grandmother, and mentors, such as William “Bill” O’Brien and Daniel Robinson, that helped to provide my foundation. I was blessed to have a supportive spouse and family that understood the stress of my work as my level of responsibility grew over my almost forty years of public service. It is important for you to find that person, or persons, whom you can rely on to provide you the support you need as you lead in today’s fragmented society.
First and foremost, to be successful in your relationship with others it is important first to be honest with yourself. Listen to your moral compass. However, you are not on an island, although you may think you are at times. As noted earlier, find someone(s) with whom you can commiserate and bounce ideas off without the fear of misunderstanding. Just make sure it includes persons that will tell you, “I’m not so sure about that”. Standing by your convictions is important, but just as important is understanding when to bend and possibly take another approach. Both are very important compatible characteristics. Talk with a spouse, friend, colleague, or even a senior advisor, but whomever it is have regular conversations to help keep yourself grounded.
Another value important to me in my career, that you may not find closely related, was instilled in me by Daniel Robinson (“Mr. Robinson” to me), a public accountant who worked for the County in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s during an annexation suit brought by the City of Harrisonburg. He instilled in me an attention to detail that I tried to keep with me throughout my career. Mr. Robinson was a stickler who taught me “son, worry about the little things and the big things will follow closely behind”. He further explained there is a difference between getting bogged down in details and minutia, versus taking the time to thoroughly review your work. Small mistakes or overlooked items can be costly. Having someone you trust to look over your work (a second set of eyes) is important, even if and especially if you are the manager.
Next, there were many important principles passed on to me by the late Bill O’Brien, my boss for 25 years and friend for over 35 years. These concepts were key responsibilities in day-to-day interactions which I held close during my time as manager. First, is the understanding that as managers, we have a special responsibility to each local government employee that works with us. I often heard him say, “remember, we are their last advocate”. He noted that there are always two sides to every incident. It is of upmost importance to respect that truism when a member of the community encounters you with a grievance. Don’t overpromise what you can or will do until you speak with the staff person or persons most closely involved even, and especially if, that person who feels aggrieved is a member of the governing body. That said, be prompt in your follow-up and forthright with the person that made the initial grievance or inquiry, understanding that sometimes it may not be the answer that the person wanted.
Next, Bill understood the important role of the media and his responsibility to meet with them regularly to ensure the transparency of the County’s activities. This was especially difficult, when early in my career, there was an incident with the media which caused some significant difficulties for him as manager. He never once said a harsh word to me about the incident, and although concerned about how the events that caused the issue developed, Mr. O’Brien worked through the issue with the Board and the community, and the County redeveloped good relations with the media. He later reiterated to me the importance of the media’s role in informing the public, and how critical it is to ensure an informed, educated community. However, that said, it is certainly not always easy!
Finally, communication. For us as managers, communication starts with the governing body. You may encounter requests from one or two members of the governing body for information about a topic in which they may or may not have copied the remaining members. Bill emphasized to me the importance of ensuring equal information going for all members. Our role is to serve the entire board, although at times personalities can make that difficult. In my interview with the Board prior to my appointment, I emphasized to the Board my intention to follow this practice and held fast to it during my tenure with the County. We know that our and the staff’s role is to provide the best advice we can to all board members. It is then their responsibility to set the policies to determine the direction to move our locality.
My family and many mentors, friends and colleagues helped provide me a solid foundation for my career. My hope for you is that you will find that support within your family, community, and this profession. I wish nothing but the best for each of you.
Thanks to Joe for these great words of advice. I had the privilege of working with Joe both while I was at VDOT and as County Administrator. I am appreciative of his solid support and encouragement he has provided to me over the years.
Welcome to our newest VLGMA Member,
John Clair, Police Chief, Town of Marion
Tim Fitzgerald
VLGMA President