Gov360

• Cancel Culture in City Hall: What Happens When the Mob Comes for You | Ep.14

  If you work in local government long enough, you’ll face public criticism. That comes with the territory. But what happens when it stops being about policy and becomes about you—your name, your reputation, even your livelihood?   In this solo episode of Gov360, City Manager Chris Mann shares a deeply personal story of facing an organized, relentless campaign to drive him out of his role. For two years in Yucaipa, California, an anti-growth group targeted him with disinformation, weaponized public comment, hostile Facebook groups, public records requests, and political pressure on the city council.   This is not theory. This is what cancel culture looks like inside city hall.   Chris walks through the emotional, professional, and ethical tightrope of leading under attack—and what it takes to come out the other side with clarity, courage, and conviction.     🔑 Key Learnings   • Cancel culture in local government is slow, coordinated, and often hidden behind a veneer of legitimacy • Being targeted is often the result of doing your job well in a politically volatile environment • Ethics rules can trap city managers in silence when they become the story • Trust equity must be built long before misinformation begins • Leaving is not weakness—sometimes it’s a strategic reset     🎧 Featured Topics   • What “cancel culture” looks like for city managers and senior staff • How organized opposition movements weaponize public processes • The psychological, family, and career impact of becoming a target • The city manager’s ethical dilemma when false narratives spread • Why councils often stay silent when attacks escalate • Five strategies for surviving and leading through a smear campaign • How the profession can create healthier council–manager dynamics • Hope and perspective for leaders currently “in the storm”     📚 Links & Resources   • Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/ • Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817 • Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614 • Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa     🗣️ About Gov360   Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.   TAGS: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, CancelCulture, CityHall, CityManagement, CouncilManager, ResilientLeadership

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• From City Staffer to Councilmember: How Joe Pradetto Flipped the Script on Local Politics | Ep.13

  What really changes when you go from writing staff reports to voting on them?   In this episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann sits down with Palm Desert City Councilmember Joe Pradetto, who made the rare leap from long-time government staffer to elected official. With years of experience in legislative affairs, communications, and department leadership, Joe now finds himself on the other side of the dais.   They unpack what it takes to shift from policy implementer to policymaker—and how to do it without losing your grounding in public service.   Topics covered in this episode include: Why Joe ran for office after more than a decade as a staffer What surprised him most about life on the Council The biggest mindset shifts when transitioning from staff to elected Common staff-vs-council misunderstandings and how to avoid them Why more government insiders should (or shouldn’t) consider running Whether you’re a department head thinking about your next chapter, or a city manager working to build stronger relationships with your council, this episode offers practical lessons and lived experience from both sides of the dais.   Key Learnings: Staff experience can be a powerful asset—but only if you adopt a policymaker’s mindset Healthy council-manager relationships rely on mutual respect for roles and boundaries Running for office is about building trust and telling your story—not just proving competence Elected leadership requires humility, not just ambition   Featured Topics: Transitioning from staff to elected office Campaigning as a public servant Council-manager form of government in action Planning Commission service as preparation for elected roles Staff-council dynamics and trust-building Public service, work-life balance, and long-term impact   Links & Resources: Connect with Joe Pradetto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-pradetto-aa90291a4/ Learn more about Joe as a Councilmember: https://joepradetto.com Connect with Chris Mann: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismann76/ Subscribe to the Gov360 Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817   Gov360 on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z_Lr6ZiqVi8 Gov360 on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov360/id1807649614 Gov360 on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Rq8Hxqvx23OVL0H4bQdqa   About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.   Tags: LocalGovernment, CityCouncil, Leadership, Gov360, PublicService, CityManager, CouncilManager, StaffToElected, CampaignStrategy, CityPolitics, PalmDesert

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• The Resilient Leader: Leading Local Government with Courage and Clarity | Ep.12

  🎙️ Guest Appearance on the Courage Wise Podcast with Gavin Johns   What does it really take to lead a city with courage—especially when your path is unconventional, the budget is tight, and the stakes are personal? In this episode, Gov360 host Chris Mann shares his guest appearance on the Courage Wise Podcast, where he sat down with Gavin Johns for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about leadership, resilience, and building a meaningful career in local government. Together, they explore: ✅ Chris’ untraditional journey to becoming a city manager ✅ Why resilience—not perfection—is the key to lasting leadership ✅ Strategic planning lessons from turning deficits into surpluses ✅ How to build high-performing teams without micromanaging ✅ Faith, family, and finding purpose in public service They also dive into leadership mindset—how to push forward even when you’re doubted, and why being “ready” isn’t a requirement for taking the first step.     🔑 Key Learnings: You don’t need a traditional path to lead in local government—you need purpose and perseverance. Resilient leaders build trust by facing challenges head-on. Strategic planning is about defining a city’s future—not just checking boxes. Empowered teams outperform micromanaged ones. The best leaders serve others and build cultures of ownership.     🎧 Featured Topics: Nontraditional career paths in local government Strategic planning in growing cities Budget turnaround and innovation under pressure Empowerment-based leadership Faith and family as leadership foundations The emotional toll—and rewards—of city management Organizational culture and trust-building Wildomar’s vision and long-range planning     📚 Links & Resources: 🎙️ Courage Wise Podcast on Apple Podcasts 📲 Connect with Gavin Johns on LinkedIn 📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn 📬 Subscribe to the Gov360 Newsletter 🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360 on Apple Podcasts 🎧 Listen on Spotify     🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.   Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, Leadership, Gov360, ResilientLeadership, PublicAdministration, StrategicPlanning, CityManagement, CivicEngagement, FaithInLeadership, CourageWise, PublicService, GovTech, TeamEmpowerment, WildomarCA

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• Real Talk on Politics, PEG Funds, and Putting Your City on Camera with Joe Turner | Ep.11

  🎙️ Guest Appearance on the City Manager Unfiltered Podcast with Joe Turner What if you could build a full recording studio in your city without touching your general fund? That’s exactly what I did—and in this episode, I explain how. I recently joined Joe Turner on the City Manager Unfiltered podcast to unpack how cities can leverage PEG (Public, Educational, and Governmental) access funds to modernize communications, rebuild public trust, and engage the community in ways your website never will. We cover: ✅ What PEG funds are—and why your city might be sitting on hundreds of thousands of unused dollars ✅ How we turned an underutilized office at City Hall into a studio for an award-winning podcast ✅ Why long-form content + short-form clips can outperform traditional government comms ✅ Candid lessons from launching Yucaipa 360, including one thing I might do very differently ✅ How transparency today means meeting people where they are—not hiding behind “it’s on the website” We also dive into the leadership mindset required to thrive as a city manager, how to build resilience when facing termination risks, and that understanding the “why” behind your career matters more than ever.   🎥 Note for YouTube Viewers: This episode was recorded for an audio-only podcast, so following a video intro you’ll see a static image while the audio rolls.   🔑 Key Learnings: PEG funds are a powerful, underused tool—especially for digital media and council chambers upgrades. Professional-quality city podcasts are possible without using general fund dollars. Being proactive with communications builds trust, while hiding behind legal minimums erodes it. Authentic, long-form content can boost the perception of transparency—even if engagement is low. Your podcast can be an archive of helpful links to send when questions arise in the community. 🎧 Featured Topics: PEG funding 101 City podcast studios Government transparency Council dynamics and communications Leadership mindset in city management Lessons from Yucaipa 360 Developer relations & process streamlining Why video is the new town square 📚 Links & Resources: 🎙️ City Manager Unfiltered Podcast: Listen to Joe Turner’s show 📲 Connect with Joe Turner on LinkedIn 📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn 📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter 🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360: Apple Podcasts | Spotify   🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession.   Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, PEGfunding, PublicCommunications, Gov360, GovTech, CivicEngagement, Transparency, Podcasting, Leadership, CityManagerUnfiltered, Yucaipa360

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• Reclaiming the Narrative: Sam Toles on Fixing Local Government's Social Media Strategy | Ep.10

  🚨 Struggling with negativity on social media? Here’s how to take back control. 🎙️ Gov360 Episode 10! Sam Toles is back—this time in-studio—to dive even deeper into the social media crisis facing local governments and how to fix it. A former city councilmember turned Hollywood media executive, Sam is the founder of CiviSocial and the author of two game-changing books: 📘 The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers 📗 *New this week:* The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials (forward written by Chris Mann) 💡 Whether you’re a city manager, PIO, department head, or elected official, this episode will shift how you think about public engagement—and show you a better way forward. In this episode, Chris and Sam unpack: Why toxic online discourse is driving talent out of local government The mindset shift that empowers staff and changes the game How to reframe your communications around staff, not politics Platform-by-platform do’s and don’ts (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more) Why Canva flyers, press releases, and static posts just don’t cut it anymore The “Mary on the Trails” story and how to turn staff into community heroes How one city went from 30 toxic commenters to just 1 in a matter of months ⸻ 🔗 Links & Resources: CiviSocial: https://civisocial.com The Social Media Playbook for City & County Managers: https://a.co/d/4K3UdBj The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials: https://a.co/d/gO39KYB Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles1/ 📧 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817 ⸻ 📣 If this episode helped you, hit the like, subscribe, and share buttons to support the show and help other local government leaders find it. Until next time...govern boldly, my friends!

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