MML March/April 2024 Review Magazine

Across three centuries and two peninsulas: One League

From the League’s

For most, if not all, units of municipal government, the governing body is responsible for hiring two individuals: its manager and its attorney. Both are held responsible to work toward the health, safety, and welfare of the community/ entity they are appointed to serve, and each has specific responsibilities in making that happen. I have always felt the governing body has the expectation that its two primary employees will work together to bring forth the best option(s) for its consideration. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? I have been blessed to have worked with four municipal attorneys during my Michigan career. Two were in place upon my start as city manager/ elected office; the other two were hired during my tenure. With each of these four fantastic attorneys, we strove to develop a trusting relationship which helped in defining our roles and responsibilities, working through difficult topics, and providing a unified proposal for consideration to the governing body and the community. We worked to assist each other to be the best attorney/manager possible. We worked toward never surprising each other and never surprising our governing body. Sounds easy. When everything runs smoothly, yes. What about those times we don’t come to full agreement? Through building trust, we worked to provide options to the governing body for discussion. Through trust—letting go of our egos, listening to each other, and looking to the bigger picture—the health, safety, and welfare of the community, that common goal we both shared, a better decision usually was the outcome. It is about relationships, and we all know how hard that can be in both our personal and professional lives. A quote I have used in the last number of years has been: “Relationships are primary; all else is derivative.” I heard this line from Dr. Ron David in 2005 while at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard. It struck a nerve; and believe me, it is easier to say or write than to practice at times. But when practiced, the results are amazing.

history banks…

(left) Lori Grigg Bluhm, 2013-15 president of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys and (right) Mark Nettleton, recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Municipal Attorney Award.

Bill Mathewson is a legal consultant to the League. You may contact him at wmathewson@mml.org.

(left) Lauren Trible-Laucht, 20221-23 president of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys; (right) Tom Schultz, 2019-21 president of the Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys.

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