Core Competencies for Elected City Officials

Always acting with integrity, honesty, and fairness. Actively demonstrating the values and mission of your city.

Examples of integrity and ethics as an elected city official include:

• Complying with laws, policies, and rules (e.g., the gift law).
• Fostering ethical behavior among your elected peers and city staff.
• Avoiding conflicts of interest.
• Demonstrating a commitment to democracy and fair process.

Sharing information and fostering the exchange of ideas with fellow elected officials, city staff, and the public.

Examples of communication as an elected city official include:

• Being an effective listener.
• Maintaining composure in crisis or other highly-charged situations.
• Using different communication tools to engage stakeholders in the community.
• Modeling good social media use.
• Communicating reliable information; not misleading the public.
• Seeking out and listening to broad perspectives.

Reaching out to the community to involve them in local government in meaningful and sustainable ways.

Examples of community engagement as an elected city official include:

• Building relationships with different community leaders, including those representing underserved or underrepresented groups.
• Modeling civility.
• Welcoming diversity in viewpoints and opinion.
• Modeling good social media use.

Working to create an environment that is respectful, open, and welcoming to diverse ideas, backgrounds, and talents. Working to create equitable policies and practices.

Examples of equity and inclusion as an elected city official include:

• Taking action to demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and equity in your city.
• Reviewing policies for fair and equitable outcomes.
• Building a diverse workforce that represents the community.
• Ensuring city services are accessible and welcoming to all community members.
• Intentionally seeking authentic input into city policies from a wide range of voices and backgrounds.

Developing a vision; identifying priorities and resources required to achieve that vision. Examining all factors affecting an issue and taking informed action.

Examples of strategic planning and decision-making as an elected city official include:

• Listening to and considering a variety of perspectives in order to make decisions.
• Ability to develop long-term plans.
• Encouraging creativity of ideas.
• Building trust and consensus; investing in relationships and understanding of core values.

Working with others to create and implement policies that achieve common goals and advance the mission of your city.

Examples of policymaking as an elected city official include:

• Listening to diverse perspectives and building consensus.
• Energizing a group for taking action.
• Identifying priorities.
• Harnessing relationships to bring about positive results.
• Seeing the big picture.

Understanding legal requirements and complying with applicable laws. Mitigating risky situations.

• Following open and transparent public process with decision-making.
• Fairness in application of ordinances and policies.
• Upholding the values of the city and acting as a role model for integrity.

Running effective meetings.

• Following Robert’s Rules of Order.
• Modeling collaboration and cooperation.
• Engaging stakeholders in productive discussions.

Financial decision-making and accountability. Preparing a budget that reflects the values and vision of the community.

Examples of financial literacy as an elected city official include:

• Creating an environment in which financial transparency is valued.
• Analyzing trends that will affect the budget.
• Being a good steward of the public’s resources.
• Preparing your city to meet future needs.

Consistently implementing employee policies and fair practices. Motivating employees to fulfill their potential.

• Investing in employee’s professional development/encouraging a growth mindset.
• Helping all employees see how their roles and responsibilities connect to the city’s overall mission.
• Modeling the values of the city.
• Implementing succession planning.

When you lead with the values, vision, and actions of the ten competencies above, you’ll develop a servant leadership mindset and it will be easy to put the needs of your city, staff, and community first.