By Luke Fischer

All of us probably have a story about a time when one of our government services didn’t work as expected. The water was shut off. A snowplow missed a route. A permit got lost in the shuffle. Or maybe the council didn’t take the anticipated action at a meeting.

But those shortcomings are the exception, certainly not the rule.

This morning I brushed my teeth without thinking about where the water came from. Public works crews were out salting a slick intersection before I woke up. And the fire department was returning from a call when I drove by the station on my way to work.

At its best, our work in local government is so reliable that we stop noticing it. We take it for granted.

Keeping our cities running

In public service, it is easy to celebrate the new, visible things: breaking ground on an ice arena, cutting the ribbon on a long-awaited economic development project, or opening a new road. But it’s the day-to-day services we provide that make our everyday lives possible.

We shouldn’t forget the people who make those services so reliable that they often go unnoticed: the public works employee who fixes a water leak in the middle of the night, the election workers who ensure every ballot is counted, the folks who make payroll happen, or our public safety first responders who always show up in times of crisis and care for those most in need.

Their work rarely makes the news, and it’s not as likely to show up in your communities great places to live. These public servants are the reason our cities work. They deserve our appreciation and thanks.

Success is not always visible

Of course, that work doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It takes strong leadership to create systems, relationships, and organizations that recognize and value the essential functions of local government, even those that may seem routine or mundane.

As a city leader, you’re not going to win an award for a crisis that never happened, an infrastructure failure prevented through a good capital improvement plan, or a disagreement that was resolved before it became a blowout at a council meeting.

But not every success in public service needs to be visible to be valuable.

Some of the most important work we do is also the easiest to overlook. The next time you go through your day without thinking about your local government, don’t take that as evidence that nothing is happening. On the contrary, it is proof that things are going very well.

Behind every reliable city service are the employees who deliver it and the elected officials who help make it possible.

Thank you for your service

As we near the end of the year, and the end of a council term for many, it is equally important to pause and appreciate those concluding their service to their communities. Whether you’re leaving city service through retirement or an election that didn’t go your way, all of us at the League want to say thank you for your service.

Across Minnesota, more than 4,000 people step up to serve on city councils, united by a common belief: Their community matters, the people who live in their cities deserve a great hometown, and they can make a difference.

It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there — particularly in a world where our politics can feel harsh and sometimes cruel. To those concluding their service, thank you for your willingness to put the public first, your commitment to your community, and the difference you have made.

Your contributions may not always make headlines, but they have helped make your communities better places to live.

Luke Fischer is executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities. Contact: [email protected] or (651) 281-1279.