Page 2 - March Newsletter

A NOTE FROM

Our Leaders

When I was asked to write about the city’s strategic
value of Accountability, I thought it would be simple.
After all, isn’t a lawyer’s job to remind others of the
consequences of their actions? But as I sat down to
put my thoughts into words, I found it difficult to
articulate exactly how accountability guides us in
our daily work.

I even considered outsourcing the task to ChatGPT—
only to realize the irony. Relying on a program to do
my job would be the opposite of accountability.

At its core, accountability is responsibility. Black’s
Law Dictionary defines it as being "responsible for or
answerable to," but for us, it means something more.
As employees of a public entity, we are entrusted
with the public’s confidence, and we honor that trust
by taking ownership of our actions and decisions.

That doesn’t mean we’re perfect—far from it. I doubt
I’ve ever met a perfect person, and if I did, I wouldn’t
find them very interesting. Mistakes happen.
Accountability isn’t about never making them;
it’s about owning them, learning from them, and striving to do better. It’s about honesty—with ourselves, our
colleagues and the public. It’s about resisting the temptation to deflect responsibility or place blame
elsewhere.

Accountability is how we measure our performance as public servants. It pushes us to uphold high standards
and acknowledge those areas where we can improve. It also means accepting constructive criticism when we
fall short.

I haven’t been with the city very long, so I can’t speak to its history as some of my colleagues can. But having
served in the public sector for many years, I can confidently say that the dedication of the city’s employees is
unmatched. That dedication stems from a shared commitment to accountability—holding ourselves and each
other to the highest standards of service.

By embracing accountability, we strengthen the public’s trust and ensure we continue to serve our community
with excellence.
--Christopher Gabbert, Deputy City Attorney