Page 2 - April Newsletter

A NOTE FROM

Our Leaders

Integrity in Municipal Service Delivery

Integrity
When I was asked to write about integrity for
this month’s newsletter, a quote immediately
came to mind: “Integrity is doing the right
thing, even when no one is watching.” While
this quote has been misattributed to C.S.
Lewis the sentiment holds true. The idea of
committing to important work, even when
unseen, is at the heart of providing municipal
services. For our teams who work behind the
scenes, integrity serves as the foundation of
our efforts.

While emergency call-outs in the middle of the night, such as reenergizing a well or lift station, are dramatic
examples, much of the city’s daily operations also takes place quietly out of the public’s view. This work
happens in controlled-access facilities such as City Hall, the Police Department, or the Water Reclamation
Facility.

While the work is out of sight, the results are felt every day. Stakeholders trust in safe and reliable municipal
services and disruptions are communicated quickly. By approaching our work with integrity, we honor the trust
the community places in us.

There is value in parsing out some of the characteristics of working with integrity most relevant to municipal.
Last month, Mr. Gabbert referenced Black’s Law Dictionary to define accountability. Personally, I haven’t
cracked open a Black’s Law Dictionary since my high school debate days, so I’ll use a less formal approach.
Integrity in our field can be broken into three essential qualities: transparency, participation, and
accountability.

Transparency
Transparency strengthens integrity by fostering trust through open communication. This includes completing
public records requests promptly, maintaining an up-to-date public website, sharing the results of financial
audits, and using social media to stay tuned in to community concerns. These efforts ensure that residents are
informed and engaged.