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Episode 403 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies
There’s a math problem every municipal leader knows all too well.
Your community wants better roads, safer neighborhoods, thriving businesses, beautiful parks, and reliable infrastructure. Your employees need competitive compensation, updated equipment, and adequate staffing. Your elected officials have priorities. Your residents have expectations.
And somehow, you’re supposed to make it all work with the resources you have.
The expectations keep growing. The resources don’t.
So what do you do?
That’s the challenge at the heart of my conversation with Alex Mansfield, City Administrator of Amery, Wisconsin.
Alex has worked in municipal organizations serving populations ranging from a few thousand to nearly 150,000. Today, he’s leading a community of approximately 3,000 residents, where the responsibilities of local government are every bit as real as those in much larger cities, but the resources available to meet them look very different.
What I appreciate about Alex’s perspective is that he doesn’t see limited resources as an excuse for limited thinking.
Instead, he challenges us to consider something fundamental: Are we simply responding to the endless demands of local government, or are we intentionally directing our limited resources toward what matters most?
And that question goes well beyond the budget.
Throughout our conversation, Alex shares lessons from his journey into city management, including the remarkable legacy of his mother, who served as a city manager herself. We explore what it means to understand the community you’ve been entrusted to lead, why the decisions you make reveal more than the plans you create, and the personal cost of carrying responsibilities that never seem to end.
Alex also recently participated in an ICMA Annual Conference session titled Supporting Small Businesses in Small Places, exploring how smaller communities can approach economic development creatively without the financial resources or geographic advantages of larger cities.
Whether you’re leading a community of 3,000 or 300,000, the challenge is remarkably similar.
You will never have enough resources to do everything. The question is whether you’re leading intentionally enough to accomplish what matters most.
Watch Episode 403 on YouTube →
Or listen to the full conversation below.
This episode is sponsored by Tyler Technologies, the leader in empowering the public sector with software solutions that connect data, streamline operations, and improve service delivery. From AI to budgeting solutions, Tyler helps local governments build stronger, more resilient communities. Learn more at tylertech.com/winter →
The MLDC Masterminds place local government leaders into small, intentionally curated cohorts with peers who understand the weight and challenges of your unique work. It’s a trusted room to wrestle with specific challenges, gain perspective from leaders across the country, and build the relationships that make you better at what you do. Learn more at haltingwinter.com/mldc →
The HaltingWinter Podcast shines a spotlight on the people behind our cities and counties. Through candid conversations with local government leaders from across the nation, host Seth Winterhalter explores the journeys, challenges, and ideas shaping stronger communities while inspiring the next generation of public servants.
