Overview

Local government can be fascinatingly intriguing, significant, and captivating. This book grew out of years of determination while I was a Mayor, Councilmember, and Planning Commissioner to make local government and public meetings approachable, friendly, customer-oriented, accessible, accountable, and understood. It is a process that needs work on all sides of the dais - by the public, by staff, and by elected representatives. As the first directly elected female Mayor of my town, I achieved all of the goals I set for my two years in office except one: I wanted to set up a course for new Councilmembers to teach them their roles and responsibilities as directors on the many Boards on which they sit. This book is my fulfillment of that goal. Boardsmanship is an art, a science, and a learned skill that isn't taught, but which would enhance the service we provide to those who elect us if we understood how to do it well. The problem is that there is no playbook, no job description, no education for newly elected representatives or for the public that explains what is expected of us and what our jobs are. It's all happenstance. The electeds get thrown in at the deep end, and their constituents often don't even get to the pool, or they check in with their representatives in a haphazard way. I became familiar with local government practice and process by osmosis over the course of thirteen years. You can do that too, but you will be much more effective and waste much less time if you learn how it works before you take up your role. City Council 101 will shorten your learning curve so you can hit the ground running.

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Reviews

This is a much-needed guide relevant at every level of government. It sets out what every public servant needs to know about open government and transparency, whether elected, appointed, or hired, and serves as a reminder that our task is to represent the often-forgotten taxpayer! It should be required reading for civil servants and elected representatives and all who desire to preserve the public trust. Andrea Seastrand, Former California Assembly Member, Former Representative, US House of Representatives Public Integrity is the foundation for citizen faith in local government. Elected and appointed officeholders hijacking official authority to benefit themselves and their cronies, or to punish those who expose their corruption, jackhammers away those foundations. Debbie Peterson's guide on how to spot, avoid, and remedy corrupt practices from the inside by local elected and appointed officeholders is indispensable for every city council and agency board member. Stew Jenkins, Constitutional Attorney, Former Harbor Commissioner Debbie Peterson knows the rules that govern elected and appointed officials' public behavior. This new book defines those rules, so even the most minor official can serve with confidence, knowing how to stay transparent, honest and avoid any appearance of impropriety, while always honoring the public trust! Peter Keith, Former Mayor, Grover Beach, California

This is a much-needed guide relevant at every level of government. It sets out what every public servant needs to know about open government and transparency, whether elected, appointed, or hired, and serves as a reminder that our task is to represent the often-forgotten taxpayer! It should be required reading for civil servants and elected representatives and all who desire to preserve the public trust. Andrea Seastrand, Former California Assembly Member, Former Representative, US House of Representatives Public Integrity is the foundation for citizen faith in local government. Elected and appointed officeholders hijacking official authority to benefit themselves and their cronies, or to punish those who expose their corruption, jackhammers away those foundations. Debbie Peterson's guide on how to spot, avoid, and remedy corrupt practices from the inside by local elected and appointed officeholders is indispensable for every city council and agency board member. Stew Jenkins, Constitutional Attorney, Former Harbor Commissioner Debbie Peterson knows the rules that govern elected and appointed officials' public behavior. This new book defines those rules, so even the most minor official can serve with confidence, knowing how to stay transparent, honest and avoid any appearance of impropriety, while always honoring the public trust! Peter Keith, Former Mayor, Grover Beach, California

Author Information

A former Mayor, Councilmember, and Planning Commissioner, Debbie Peterson works on both sides of the dais as an advocate for good government.By the age of 28 Debbie was an award-winning entrepreneur and food manufacturer in Great Britain and has negotiated more than five hundred win-win transactions as a residential real estate broker in California.Debbie studied journalism and radio-tv, at CSU Fresno, completing a BSc in Communications with a major in Public Relations from the University of Idaho. Debbie is the author of The HAPPIEST CORRUPTION: Sleaze, Lies, & Suicide in a California Beach Town, and the California Cake & Cookie Cookbook and was requisitioned by the Scottish Development Agency to write Great Scotswomen in Business. Debbie was the Scottish 'Young Business Personality of the Year' before returning to California to raise her son. She now spends her time writing, speaking, running her real estate company, and skiing and traveling with friends and family.

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