By Pat McGinnis
The Advocacy Committee held meeting number four in April and noted substantial progress.
- Connect with Peer/Partner Organizations
We’ve identified 18 peer groups and are reaching out to engage all of them. We need to mutually share our educational opportunities, lean on one another to add volume to our positions and build local government from within by better connecting with our buddies around City/Village/Township/County Halls. - Develop Materials
Rachel Smolenski will produce a clean and effective slide deck for use across the State supporting and defending the council/manager form of government. Ryan Heise volunteered to share his “tidbits” from Weekly Reports – here is Ryan’s first, he literally inserts one such tidbit every week.
Nearly 90 percent of all communities use either the council-manager or the strong mayor form of government. The overwhelming advantages of the council-manager form are apparent. It encourages neighborhood input into the political process, diffuses the power of special interests, and eliminates partisan politics from municipal hiring, firing, and contracting decisions. - Connect with Elected Officials Academy
Thanks to Mitch Foster, we have volunteers lining up to attend the May 19-20 Elected Officials Academy weekender training in Bay City to remind our elected officials of the virtues of the council/manager form. - Expand Social Media Footprint
Justin Olson volunteered to explore opportunities and bring back ideas. Feedback is most welcome.
If you would like to serve as a liaison to any of our peer groups (Fire Chiefs, Michigan Treasurers, Recreation and Parks, etc.) or have interest in helping provide content for social media sites, contact any member of the Advocacy Committee.
Pat McGinnis
Chair, Advocacy Committee
City Manager, Portage
Pat McGinnis has been active in the MCMA/MLGMA/MME since 1987, when he first worked in a manager’s office in the City of Farmington Hills. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from Michigan State University and has served as city manager in the Michigan municipalities of West Branch, Grand Haven, and Portage. He served a term on the MLGMA Board of Trustees and received the Excellence Award in 2012 and an Innovation Award in 2020. He and his wife Tina live in Portage, Michigan with their bunny, cat, and puppy. He can be reached at mcginnip@portagemi.gov.