Municipal Leaders: Develop Faster, Lead Stronger, Build Better
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Episode 398 of The HaltingWinter Podcast
Sponsored by Tyler Technologies
Growth is good. At least, that’s the assumption.
New subdivisions mean new residents. New development means new tax revenue. New roads and infrastructure mean progress.
But what happens 20, 30, or 40 years from now when all of that infrastructure needs to be replaced?
That’s the question Michael Kovacs, City Manager of Fate, Texas, is asking now…before his city has a crisis.
And the numbers are staggering. Fate has been working through what it could cost to maintain and eventually replace its street network over the next 40 years. The estimate approaches $1 billion.
Not because Fate did something uniquely wrong. Because infrastructure eventually wears out. Every road, pipe, median, trail, streetlight, and public improvement a growing city accepts today comes with a future obligation attached to it.
That creates a very different question for local government leaders. It’s not simply: How do we manage growth?
It’s: Are we creating enough long-term value to pay for everything we’re building?
Michael has spent his career seeing this challenge from dramatically different perspectives, from a tiny border community where he was forced to learn city management by doing nearly everything, to resort communities, hurricane recovery in Galveston, and now a rapidly growing North Texas city.
Those experiences have changed the way he thinks about development. He doesn’t want to simply ride the growth wave until the infrastructure starts failing and leave the problem for the next generation of leaders.
He wants Fate to become a city where someone could “live and never have to move.” That requires thinking beyond the next development agreement, budget cycle, or council election.
In Episode 398 of The HaltingWinter Podcast, Michael and I talk about the hidden bill behind growth and what local government leaders can start doing long before that bill comes due.
If your community is growing, aging, or trying to figure out how it will pay for the infrastructure it already has, this is a conversation worth hearing.
Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen to Episode 398: Michael Kovacs: Growth Isn’t Free
Michael will also be part of the education session “Maintaining, Replacing, and Funding Roads: How Much Is Enough?” where he and his fellow presenters will dig deeper into the long-term cost of municipal streets and how communities can begin preparing before infrastructure replacement becomes a crisis.
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.
