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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
Hot Takes:
Generational dynamics within unions have shifted bargaining leverage.
Don’t wait until negotiation year to build trust.
Personnel management is on-the-job training, no matter your preparation.
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:
What does workplace loyalty mean in local government?
The connection (or disconnection) between loyalty and tenure
ICMA’s two-year standard and generational shifts in career mobility
Professionalism vs. loyalty: which matters more?
The heated residency debate: does living in your community change your recommendations?
Small town dynamics vs. larger municipalities
Looking ahead: Generation on the Rise adds guests in 2025!

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

As the calendar year closes out, Eden Ratliff sits down with Brandon Ford and Dave Pribulka to talk about strategic planning in the real world: not as a glossy document, but as a working “rudder” for budget decisions, priorities, and day-to-day execution.
They dig into the tension between aspirational goals (the “why”) and cross-offable action steps (the “how”)—including how to avoid plans that sound inspiring but don’t translate into steps, owners, timelines, or resources.
Along the way, they compare planning approaches in large and small communities, debate when to use consultants vs. doing the work in-house, and talk honestly about what happens when boards turn over and want to toss the plan on the shelf.
Generation on the Rise is produced by Nancy Hess 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)
Subscribe to MuniSquare on Substack and sign up for the Generation on the Rise feed.
Highlights
00:00 - Welcome & Year-End Check-In
00:01 - Episode Introduction: Strategic Planning
00:02 - Brandon's Love/Hate Relationship with Strategic Planning
00:03 - The Chicken or Egg Debate: Aspirational vs. Practical
00:04 - Dave Introduces "Cross-Offable" Action Steps
00:05 - The Comp Plan vs. Strategic Plan Hierarchy Debate
00:07 - Eden's Cascade Model: How Plans Connect
00:08 - Lower Merion's Annual Priorities Workshop Process
00:11 - Strategic Planning for Small Communities
00:15 - Dave: Small Communities Need It MORE
00:17 - Brandon's Reality Check: Need vs. Resources
00:18 - In-House vs. Hiring Consultants
00:20 - Dave on Pros and Cons of Each Approach
00:22 - Eden's Charlottesville Story: Third-Party Facilitation
00:24 - Most Memorable Planning Experiences
00:26 - Eden's 112-Person Strategic Team: "Planning Is Messy"
00:28 - Strategic Plans Cannot Replace Policy Process
00:30 - The Big Question: What When Boards Throw Out Your Plan?
00:31 - Defining AMI and ALICE (Housing Affordability Context)
00:34 - Dave: Sometimes Things Just Change
00:35 - "Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail" - True or False?
00:37 - Emergency Planning Discussion
00:38 - Dave's Key Insight: Strategic Plans Give Managers "Cover"
00:40 - Final Wisdom: Planning for Communities of All Sizes
00:41 - Closing & Where to Listen

In this episode of ‘Generation on the Rise’, the hosts Dave Pribulka, Eden Ratliff, and Brandon Ford “go there” to unpack the inherent biases present in local government, and how it can impact decision-making processes.
They explore how biases affect hiring practices and public policy formation, emphasizing the need for a culture of challenge and building perspective in leadership. The conversation also touches on the impact of confirmation bias and the necessity of engaging with voices from outside familiar turf to challenge the status quo.
Chapters
02:51 The Meaning Behind ‘Generation on the Rise’
12:06 Understanding Bias in Local Government
23:47 Bias in Hiring Processes and Practices
28:27 Navigating Education Choices in Suburban Life
29:41 Blind Reviews and Bias in Hiring
31:35 The Importance of Diverse Perspectives
33:17 Creating a Culture of Disagreement
35:01 Affinity Bias in Team Dynamics
37:47 The CAO and Assistant Relationship
42:54 Confirmation Bias in Municipal Management
54:58 The Impact of Experience on Management Bias
59:22 Bias in Public Policy Formation