By Lynn Markland
The following historical information and current situation provides insight to the long-time relationship between the MME and the Michigan Municipal League. I am actually surprised that this relationship isn’t well known by our members. As a former and current MME Board member and a former trustee of the League, I recognize the importance of having a separate professional group of municipal managers that is affiliated with the League. The relationship adds value to both organizations.
“Without an official name, without elected officers, and without official organization, a unique association of city managers is functioning up in Michigan. And this anonymous group, which meet every two weeks on Friday, is gaining wide recognition throughout the eastern section of the state.” (Public Management, March 1930).
The formal association for managers got its start as informal gatherings of municipal managers at the Michigan Municipal League’s annual convention. At one of these meetings in 1929, the fellowship decided to form a state organization; it was known as the Michigan chapter of the ICMA and was affiliated with the League. The first organizational meeting was held in Lansing in 1930, and 35 of our state’s 44 city managers attended. Delinquent taxes, budget preparation and execution, and cooperative purchasing were among the topics discussed.
The 1930 topics are still relevant, and the early relationship with the League has endured. The collaboration has changed over the years, from the League’s associate director serving as MCMAs (Michigan City Management Association, as it came to be known) executive director and secretary/treasurer, to a more formal memorandum of understanding reached in 2001. From 1930 to 1998, a League staff member served as executive director (appointed by the managers’ association board) and as secretary/treasurer (elected from among the membership). A restructuring at the League eliminated the associate director position, forcing a change to the relationship. A manager task force was created to tackle the situation, and it supported retaining close ties with the League. The League’s executive director at the time relayed the League’s desire to continue a relationship that had been in place for 68 years and offered to provide a staff person to continue serving as the secretary/treasurer of MCMA at no cost.
After several years, a memorandum of understanding was signed in 2001 to delineate the League’s support to MLGMA (we had undergone a name change to the Michigan Local Government Management Association). The MOU starts with this preamble:
“The MML and the MLGMA enjoy a strong connection to one another, which benefits both associations. MLGMA members lend their expertise to MML committees, to advocacy efforts, and to the Board of Trustees. The MML recognizes the important role of professional management in Michigan’s local government and includes MGLMA members in the decision-making process of the League, thus lending support and strength to the MLGMA. Both associations agree that this historic relationship should be preserved.”
When our association changed its name to MME, this preamble language was preserved, and the MOU was adjusted to reflect the ongoing needs of both organizations. These are among the services that MME receives from the League:
- Logistical planning and support for our Summer Workshop and Winter Institute
- Records retention and state/federal filings
- Budget preparation and financial management
- Technical support and website management, E-newsletter
- Board and administrative support
In addition to having served on the League’s Board of Trustees, I have also served on the League’s nominating committee. From that experience, I can tell you that the League’s leadership understands the value of having managers on their Board and strives to see that we are represented. Many members of our association have served on the League Board of Trustees. Current MME members on the League Board of Trustees include Michael Cain, city manager, Boyne City; Brian Chapman, city manager, Vassar; Christine Burns, village manager, Spring Lake; and Mark Vanderpool, city manager, Sterling Heights.
In addition to administrative support, the League invites the MME president to all MML Board meetings with a standing spot on the MML Board’s agenda to provide updates and/or feedback. Also, the League invites and sponsors the MME president to attend the NLC Congressional Cities Conference to lobby with League leadership on critical municipal issues. The bond is strengthened in other ways, too, such as MME’s Colloquium sponsorship at the League Convention to promote the municipal management profession.
Several years ago, the League created the Elected Officials Academy that includes training for newly elected officials. A part of the program explains the council/manager form of government. In my opinion, this training has strengthened that form of government by training elected officials on their role in communities with professional management. The relationship between the MME and the MML is as strong as it should be.
Lynn Markland
President, Michigan Municipal Executives; City Manager, Fenton
Lynn Markland has served as the city manager for Fenton since 2008, Previously, he held positions as city manager in Durand and Sandusky. You may reach him at 810.629.2261 or lmarkland@cityoffenton.org