By Matt Baumgarten
Have you ever thought about your elected board and said, “I just wish they understood [blank] about my role…” It can be frustrating trying to educate our elected officials about the council-manager form of government on your own. That is why your MME Advocacy Committee is working on ready-made materials that will aid you, our profession, and our partners in the MML in painting a complete picture of this noble profession. To educate is to advocate and our committee has been collecting materials to accomplish this dual goal.
What is your [blank] that you wish everyone knew about council-manager? What would you include in these materials? Please reach out and let us know at MBaumgarten@BerkleyMich.net with your ideas to these initiatives.
How would you describe your job? Whether you are speaking to a friend, a resident, or a member of your governing board, you have probably had to answer this question. The Advocacy Committee is working on telling the complicated story of how the council-manager form of government makes communities across Michigan better. In addition to recruiting MME members to tell their personal story, we will be surveying members on the many hats they wear in their organization. We know that, in addition to MME, you may be a member of several other professional organizations as well.
Speaking of telling the MME story, be sure to “follow” MME’s Twitter page – @MIMunicipalExec. And as you post about your fantastic community, feel free to tag MME so that we can all hear about and enjoy how great your community is doing. Check out our Twitter page.
Matt Baumgarten
Chair, Advocacy Committee
Berkley City Manager
Matt Baumgarten currently serves as the city manager of Berkley, Michigan and as chair of the MME Advocacy Committee. He considers himself a passionate advocate for the value of public service and the advancement of the council-manager form of government. He has spent nearly 20 years in local government since starting his career as a water & sewer laborer with Clinton Township in the early 2000s. He can be reached at mbaumgarten@berkleymich.net.