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"We are all one elected official away from a hostile work environment.” - Dave

“Yeah, but if it gets that bad, why would you stay?" - Eden

Today on Generation on the Rise, what starts as tactical shop talk evolves into a revealing examination of professional isolation, with Dave pushing hard on systemic advocacy gaps while Eden counters with self-reliance pragmatism. By the end, they’re debating whether the profession’s recruitment crisis stems from lack of awareness or legitimate wariness about the job’s inherent instability.

“Labor relations are high risk, high reward. When it goes bad, it goes bad fast.” - Brandon

1. Generational dynamics within unions have shifted bargaining leverage.
2. Don’t wait until negotiation year to build trust.
3. Personnel management is on-the-job training, no matter your preparation.
4. Managers lack advocacy structures..

In this kickoff-to-2026 episode of Generation on the Rise, hosts Dave Pribulka, Brandon Ford, and Eden Ratliff tackle the question: what is the real role of a municipal manager in forming local government policy?

Generation on the Rise is produced by Nancy Hess (Publisher of MuniSquare) and features Eden Ratliff (Middletown Township Manager, Bucks County PA), Brandon Ford (Lower Merion Assistant Township Manager, Montgomery County PA, and Dave Pribulka (Bellefonte Borough Manager, Centre County PA)

MuniSquare is a reader-supported publication. To subscribe to this feed, receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is a great listen for anyone interested in the work of local government or just wants to understand how it really works. Be sure to leave your comments and questions for the crew to tackle in a future episode.

“Our job is to inform the process, respect the outcome, and then deliver with enthusiasm.” - Eden

“We took ‘leaf blower ban’ as a goal and did what staff does—we turned it into options, wrote the ordinance, and recommended a seasonal ban. The board said, ‘Thanks, but we want a full ban.’ And that’s democracy.” - Brandon

“Sometimes the textbook says, ‘The board sets policy, the manager administers.’ The real work is everything in between—the translation, the conflict, the opportunity costs.” - Dave

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 – New Year banter & Y2K

03:30 – First-week-back routines & “Purge Day”

06:30 – Reorganization meetings as the “real” New Year

09:00 – Setting up the topic: managers and policy formation

10:00 – Textbook council–manager model vs reality

12:00 – How Eden reads and frames board policy priorities

13:30 – Who really sets the agenda? Chair vs manager

14:30 – Is capital equipment a policy question?

16:00 – Municipal vs nonprofit vs corporate boards

17:30 – Disagreeing with the board and processing it at home

21:00 – Culture, roles, and “no big emotions” about policy

24:00 – Translating decisions up and down the organization

28:00 – “Negotiation” vs expectations and culture

29:30 – When managers do and don’t make recommendations

33:00 – Budgets, tax policy, and whether a balanced budget is a recommendation

36:00 – Assistant manager perspective: one functional unit

38:00 – Preemption, home rule, and plastic-bag bans

44:00 – Inertia, backlash, and revisiting policy after it “marinates”

47:00 – What’s distinctive about the Generation on the Rise cohort?

48:00 – When operations are failing and the manager must force the policy conversation

49:00 – Closing reflections & takeaways

Summary: In this thought-provoking episode, Brandon, Dave, and Eden tackle the complex topic of workplace loyalty in local government. The hosts debate what loyalty means in practice, whether it’s connected to tenure, and how it differs from professionalism. The conversation takes an unexpected turn into residency requirements, sparking passionate disagreement about whether living in the community you serve impacts your work. As they wrap up 2024, the hosts announce exciting changes coming in 2025, including guest appearances.

Generation on the Rise is produced by Nancy Hess (Publisher of MuniSquare) and features Eden Ratliff (Middletown Township Manager, Bucks County PA), Brandon Ford (Lower Merion Assistant Township Manager, Montgomery County PA, and Dave Pribulka (Bellefonte Borough Manager, Centre County PA)

MuniSquare is a reader-supported publication. To subscribe to this feed, receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Show Notes:

1. What does workplace loyalty mean in local government?
2. The connection (or disconnection) between loyalty and tenure
3. ICMA’s two-year standard and generational shifts in career mobility
4. Professionalism vs. loyalty: which matters more?
5. The heated residency debate: does living in your community change your recommendations?
6. Small town dynamics vs. larger municipalities
7. Looking ahead: Generation on the Rise adds guests in 2025!

Timestamps:

1. 00:00 - Cold open: ICMA’s two-year standard discussion
2. 01:00 - Holiday gift assembly war stories
3. 05:00 - Defining workplace loyalty in local government
4. 08:00 - The role of personal affinity in job selection
5. 11:00 - Measuring loyalty: what does it look like?
6. 15:00 - The two-year standard and its implications
7. 18:00 - Why managers move more frequently now
8. 22:00 - ICMA’s two-year standard revisited
9. 27:00 - Loyalty vs. professionalism in difficult decisions
10. 31:00 - The residency debate begins
11. 40:00 - Does living in your community affect recommendations?
12. 46:00 - Generational differences in mobility and commitment
13. 50:00 - Episode wrap-up and 2025 announcement