Politics in a Small Town
What does good governance look like? And how do you get it?
The Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance (University of Washington) offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Public Administration. Their graduating classes provide highly and competitively sought after municipal and mission driven administrators. Larry Baumann, our former City Manager, fired by John Kartak in his first weeks as mayor about 8 years ago, was a graduate of the Executive Master’s of Public Administration program. The reason for his firing? Kartak felt he functioned as unelected mayor who did not live in the Snohomish. The reality? He was hired by a consensus of City Council, who represented the residents.
The UW Dan Evans School, while not providing a single, codified list, emphasizes several key attributes of good municipal (local) governance through its mission, values, and program focus.
These attributes center on leadership, public service values, evidence-based decision-making, and an equitable approach to addressing societal problems.
The Evans School's educational and research focus suggests that good municipal governance is characterized by:
* Public Service Values and Integrity:
* Commitment to the public interest with accountability and transparency.
* Acting ethically to uphold the public trust.
* Demonstrating respect, equity, and fairness in dealings with citizens and fellow public servants.
* Evidence-Based Decision Making and Policy Analysis:
* Cultivating a methodological toolkit that integrates diverse evidence into policymaking.
* Using data and scientific methods to make sound public decisions and design effective policies.
* Employing rigorous analysis and program evaluation to assess effectiveness.
* Equitable and Inclusive Policy Implementation:
* Addressing issues like institutional discrimination, racial bias, and economic inequality.
* Engaging marginalized communities in governance and prioritizing equity-centered approaches to move toward inclusivity.
* Designing policies that are responsive to human behavior and social context.
* Effective Leadership and Management in a Complex Context:
* Possessing strong communication, management, and leadership skills to navigate complex, networked environments with competing stakeholder interests.
* The ability to design and manage resilient and diverse partnerships across public, non-profit, and private sectors (collaborative governance).
* Understanding the local context and culture and connecting local issues to national and global developments.
* Resilience and Adaptability:
* Developing the ability to build resilience to overcome challenges unique to local contexts.
* Responding with awareness, equity, effectiveness, and agility in high-stress settings.
In essence, the Evans School prepares leaders for municipal governance who are not only analytically rigorous and financially astute but also deeply committed to equity, public service, and collaborative problem-solving to address 21st-century urban challenges.
I believe our City Council, led by Mayor Redmon, has delivered results that align with these goals. And while we have no graduates of UW’s Dan Evans School now, and can not realistically expect one soon, we have every right to demand that good governance continue.