The ICMA ethics program completed a three-part webinar series for members in late June. These free events were in response to member questions frequently asked this year and included resource guides for additional in-depth information.

The event topics included ethical leadership in communications, balancing political neutrality with personal advocacy, and local government’s commitment to democracy. Resource lists for these topics and webinar recordings are available to ICMA members here.

Local Government’s Commitment to Democracy

The Partnership for Public Service surveyed Americans for their 2024 report, “The State of Public Trust in Government.” The report confirms what we have known for some time—the lack of public trust in the public sector continues to grow: 29% say democracy is working in the United States today compared with 68% who say it is not working, and only 15% believe the government is transparent.

Further data speaks to this disturbing trend: Pew Research conducted a recent survey that asked, “Who trusts the government to do what is right?” The declining numbers speak to this crisis: in 1963, 77%; in 1985, 40%; and in 2022, 20%.

The ethical imperative of this situation is made clear in Tenets 1 and 3 of the ICMA Code of Ethics that apply to every ICMA member:

Tenet 1. We believe professional management is essential to effective, efficient, equitable, and democratic local government.

Tenet 3. Demonstrate by word and action the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all public, professional, and personal relationships in order that the member may merit the trust and respect of the elected and appointed officials, employees, and the public.

Election Systems as a Crucial Example

Elizabeth Doll is the director of braver politics at Braver Angels, a nonprofit organization working to bring Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen the U.S. democratic republic. They believe the current division in our country damages our communities, disrupts our families, and stops us from working together for the common good.

She provided an example about election systems to illustrate the importance of engaging communities to build public trust. Confidence in free and fair elections is one of the hallmarks of a democracy, so this is a universal issue for local government to tackle. Credibility in election integrity encourages voter participation and trust, allows people to understand how elections work, creates informed voters, reduces misinformation, and inspires belief in fair outcomes.

Trust is built when people can join or volunteer to observe the elections, so people can openly see processes for themselves without thinking the government is hiding something. This requires a transparent process with well-trained staff, as well as local election officials, who then provide a clear understanding of voting outcomes and a willingness to accept incremental improvements. For example, a volunteer might still have doubts about election outcomes in other places but will view you and their local elections as trustworthy.

Strategies to Build Public Trust

Local governments are facing polarizing issues, extreme partisanship, and threats to democratic principles. This growing incivility plays out in city council meetings, how residents treat employees, actual violence, and many more unfortunate examples.

Listen-Acknowledge-Pivot-Perspective (LAPP) Method

Braver Angels’ LAPP method, as part of its Managing Difficult Conversations series, is a de-escalation tool that pays attention to verbal, nonverbal, and emotional cues. Elizabeth guided the group in two very different scenarios using the LAPP method by acknowledging, creating the opportunity for feedback, and clarifying if there is any doubt on what was heard. Participants were encouraged to notice where goals and values may overlap, even if the paths to achieving them are different.

Chantal Cotton Gaines, the deputy city manager in Palo Alto, California, encouraged the group to consider historical context in implementing the LAPP method. This is helpful for understanding different communities’ perspectives on current issues, especially for groups where governmental efforts have historically missed the mark. Remember that different perspectives are not a problem but instead an opportunity to find common ground and consensus. And with communities having less homogeneity demographically, we can expect multiple viewpoints and lived experiences. Finding consensus means the concept of “it’s not ‘my idea’ versus ‘your idea’ — it’s all of ours.”

Connection Matters

In this 24/7 world, starting with connection seems like a simple time-consuming step; however, that step builds trust. Chantal remarked, “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” Getting to know someone with a different viewpoint allows you to discuss content more civilly instead of someone distantly vilifying you in real life or online.

Receive Feedback Before Sharing Your View

Elizabeth advised that you can show you care by finding a point of agreement—a shared value or concern. Remember to pause, reflect, and ask yourself: “Did you just share your own viewpoint or did you find something to agree with or on?” and “What can we do to feel less threatened and be more responsive?” Remember that even if feedback is hard to hear, it can be helpful in finding solutions.

Clearly Communicate

Chantal talked about the importance of the lived experience for the local government’s stakeholders and if we stay open, we can actively learn from every voice. Try to explain things in a digestible way, paraphrase as needed, and avoid jargon and acronyms in explanations.

Sticking to Your Ethical Boundaries

Chantal said there will be times when a member is faced with a situation that challenges their ethical boundaries, either from someone not knowing or having varying standards of what constitutes acceptable conduct. This is a time for assessing what you stand for and speaking your truth, even if it is unpopular or has employment consequences.

Every member has a choice when confronted with these dilemmas. Consulting mentors and ICMA resources like its ethics director, regional directors, and senior advisors is a wise first step.

Preparation for Emergencies

Part of the local government’s responsibility is to prepare in advance for any eventuality. When de-escalation strategies break down or are not respected, groups or individuals may resort to making threats or actual violence to achieve their outcomes.

Chantal said local governments need to have the hard conversations about how you will handle disruptions to public meetings or public spaces before they ever happen, not unlike how local governments make plans for almost anything else. The plans—which should at least include your legal, public safety, clerk, facilities, and city management teams—will focus on how you continue to encourage civil public engagement, as well as how to implement de-escalation and contingency plans if needed.

Local governments have the ability to directly impact public trust and combat the disaffecting cynicism present in many communities. The data shows that the issues developed over decades so the problem will not be fixed overnight.

As Braver Angels notes, “We believe our nation can survive and thrive for every American who contributes to the effort.” We agree and challenge members to fully engage and implement just one step towards improving the community’s faith in your local government’s ability to listen and ensure that all community members feel heard. People won’t always believe that you’ve made the right choice, but they can be persuaded that you considered the choices carefully and heard their concerns fully, increasing their trust in your process even when they still disagree with its conclusion.

JESSICA COWLES is ethics director at ICMA (jcowles@icma.org).

ELIZABETH DOLL is director of braver politics at Braver Angels.

CHANTAL COTTON GAINES is deputy city manager of Palo Alto, California, USA.

CAMILLA POSTHILL CONNERS is ethics senior program manager at ICMA.