No. 008 · Oct 7, 2026They Said Nothing at the Vote

Two Pottstown council members voted on the manager’s contract in the spring, then rented a fire hall four months later to call for his firing. Both admit the concerns predate the vote. On the spectacle, and the residency argument that doesn’t survive contact with logic.

No. 007 · Sep 21, 2026The Audit That Isn’t

Austin already publishes annual audits. A November referendum would codify a different thing: a firm paid only if it finds savings greater than its fee, promising a conclusion before it opens a ledger.

No. 006 · Sep 8, 2026The Public Interview

A city let the public weigh in on its next manager, then hired a candidate the public ranked far behind.

No. 005 · Aug 25, 2026Stop Looking for the Unicorn

The manager hiring crisis makes the headlines. The vacancy that actually hurts is the deputy clerk's desk that's been empty six months.

No. 004 · Aug 18, 2026Right Instinct, Wrong Room

Five hundred residents packed a meeting to protest their taxes. They were right to show up, and talking to the one body that couldn't help them.

No. 003 · Aug 11, 2026Leadership With Perspective

A manager who quietly resented his employees' family obligations — until he had a family of his own.

No. 002 · Aug 6, 2026The Case Against the Council-Manager Form Proves It Works

A Des Moines op-ed wanted accountability and reached for a strong mayor. The argument for abolishing the manager turns out to be an argument for concentrating power.

No. 001 · Jul 28, 2026Passing the Budget Used to Be Tuesday. Now It's Content

On the administrators narrating the job, the coaches mythologizing it, and the residents scrolling past both.