Welcome to The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. Fred Behrens is the President of the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories (LGANT), a professional association that brings together senior municipal and community government administrators across the region to support effective local governance, collaboration, and capacity building. In his role as President, he helps provide strategic leadership and oversight to the organization’s volunteer boa

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. Today on the show, discussing viability in local government, how municipalities deal with funding agreements when provincial leaders change, and three political parties in Vancouver are working together. Then later in the episode, we heading back north of the 60th Parallel to chat with the President of the Local Government Administrators of the Northwest Territories, which is coming up next. -----

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. It's an honour to welcome today's guest to the show. Michael Paulhus has served as Plainville, Connecticut, Town Manager since August 2022. He brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors, with a strong focus on fiscal management, economic development, and community engagement. Prior to Plainville, Mr. Paulhus was Town Manager in North Branford, Connecticut, for nearly a dec

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. Today on the show, we’re discussing the Alberta Government's new universal Code of Conduct for Municipal Councils, The City of Prince George is looking at an AI facility, and then, when is it appropriate to take a call from the Premier without overstepping your council? Then later in the episode, we heading South fo the 49th, to Connecticut, to chat with Plainville, CT Town Manager Michael Paulhus

Welcome to the Political Trenches: Local Government At Work. When you talk about leadership in the North, you often hear about people who didn’t start out in politics at all—they started in their communities. Kandis Jameson is one of those people. Kandis has long believed that strong communities start with strong institutions—especially education. Over the years, she’s served on both the South Slave Regional Board and the Hay River Board of Education, advocating for literacy,

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. Today on the show, we’re discussing a regional chair in Ontario- who is appointed by the province - is in hot water with Municipalities in his region for floating the idea of amalgamation, a town in Manitoba is hacking the province to court, and the Mayor of Vancouver is in the hot seat for an apology he made. Later in the episode, we are heading North of 60 to chat with the President of the North

Welcome to The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. The role of the Chief Administrative Officer can be isolating at the best of times. It is often described as the narrow point in the hourglass—the space between council and administration where expectations, accountability, and leadership converge. But what happens when that hourglass narrows even further? When the administration is not a team, but a single individual? When the CAO is also responsible for finance, pl

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. Today on the show, we’re discussing a mayor in Ontario who has his pay suspended for misusing strong mayor powers and harassing staff, a Saint John police union representative forcibly removed from council chambers amid governance tensions, and Winkler’s mayor calling for respect after the city was chosen to host its first Pride march. Later in the episode, we are diving into our series on the CAO,

Welcome to the Political Trenches Local Government at Work. When you think about what keeps a community running, municipal administrators are often the ones making it happen behind the scenes. The Manitoba Municipal Administrators, or MMA, has been supporting these professionals across Manitoba since 1931. With more than 300 members, the MMA focuses on education, professional development, and advocacy. Through connection, leadership development, and ongoing learning, they hel