https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Administration


Pixabay

Commentary

In new year, administrators face continued mental health challenges, political unrest brought on by the pandemic

In new year, administrators face continued mental health challenges, political unrest brought on by the pandemic

  • Written by Andy Castillo
  • 13th January 2022

From pivoting to meet evolving needs of the ongoing pandemic to enduring verbal harassment from a constituency pushed to the brink by rancorous national politics, the last two years have been especially difficult for local and county administrators.

2022 is shaping up to be more of the same. 

“Local government managers are frankly dealing with what everyone else is dealing with right now—the pandemic,” said Marc Ott, executive director of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). “It is, as we all know—and has been for the past several years—so pervasive. It touches everything. … A job that was already challenging and difficult, even more so.” 

Long before stay-at-home orders and mask mandates became topics of debate, government administrators balanced an abnormally substantial amount of stress daily. Across all sectors, the pandemic has brought on a mental health crisis: As of this month, for example, more than 35 percent of adults surveyed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. 

Compounding the public health challenges, toxic national politics has driven a wedge into the heart of public discourse. 

Amid this turmoil, administrators “stand in the center,” Ott said. “The lack of civility in public discourse and behavior, it feels like more than ever before, but that’s because we’re in it. The convergence of all these things—you have the pandemic … lack of civility … the impact on the economy, the changing of the workforce” is strongly felt by administrators, who support those in need. 

This upheaval has led to what’s been labeled as ‘the great migration’—a mass exodus by those seeking better work environments and general workforce evolution. A record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. Given the stressors synonymous these days with public work, local government hiring managers are facing similar challenges. 

Among ICMA members, “In some cases, they decide to retire; in other cases, they decide just to resign without necessarily having someplace else to go to,” said Ott—noting he’s personally noticed an increase in suicides among administrators over the last few years, which, based on his decade-plus experience in the public sector, “is rare to say the least.” Ott served as mayor of Austin, Texas, from 2008 to 2016 before joining ICMA. 

Within the profession, Ott highlighted an ongoing “attempt to normalize seeking out councilors and folks who can provide emotional and psychological support. That sort of thing can have a stigma, even if the resources are available, people don’t seek them out,” he said. ICMA has made a concerted effort to support the mental health of administrators, such as by hosting a program at a recent conference in Portland, Ore. 

“We were concerned and considered whether or not people would even attend. As it turns out, people did come and they filled up the room,” he said. 

If there’s a silver lining, it’s that government administrators have adapted to the difficult circumstances they find themselves in today.  

“We’ve learned a lot,” Ott said. “We’ve learned that we’re capable of far more than we thought we were. Think back to March of ‘20 when, suddenly, we had to by and large pivot to a virtual environment. Folks did that. I don’t think folks could have been persuaded that they could have done that before, but they did.” 

At times working entirely remotely, “We were just as productive, and in some cases, more productive than we were before,” he continued. 

Looking ahead to what this year has in store for local governments, Ott highlighted the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity presented by bipartisan infrastructure bill. 

“The amount of money that we’re talking about that will be directed toward infrastructure and other things certainly is unprecedented in my career—and certainly it’s needed and necessary. There is tremendous opportunity for our communities, and indeed our country,” Ott said.

Tags: homepage-featured-1 homepage-featured-3 homepage-featured-4 Administration News Administration Commentaries Commentary

Most Recent


  • NYC wants to convert unused offices into housing units through relaxed regulations, incentivization
    Since the start of the pandemic, cities across the United States have seen a dramatic increase in residents working from home, and in correlation, more unused offices. While local governments are still grappling with the best way to overcome this challenge, converting vacated commercial space into residential dwellings is a clear solution, as it simultaneously […]
  • podcasts
    Tuning into your community: Top reasons why your agency needs a podcast
    Podcasts are more popular than ever. In fact, in the United States, podcasts attract more than 100 million monthly listeners (according to demandsage.com). Are you tapping into the power of the pod to deliver important news on your city or county’s programs, projects, initiatives and community partnerships? If not, you may miss out on a […]
  • 25 of the best city flags flying over American metros and towns
    When it comes to city flags, “form follows function.” A simple, well-designed city flag creates community cohesion, fosters civic pride, and support’s the commuinity’s branding. It also costs less and more residents are apt to use it, according to a survey ranking the best city flags in the United States from the North American Vexillological […]
  • sustainability
    Residents ask government leaders to show measurable sustainability results and triumphs
    There’s a growing urgency for cities and counties to go green, says Sol Salinas, executive vice president, sustainability lead at Capgemini Americas, a service-based company that provides consulting, digital transformation and outsourcing services to many organizations, including government agencies. It partners with organizations to transform and manage their operations by harnessing the power of technology. […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • In 2022, public employers face hiring challenges, opportunity
  • American City & County survey highlights local spending priorities, challenges of infrastructure bill
  • Trends for the future: Public procurement professionals adapt to the changing and challenging times ahead
  • An optimistic procurement future: Maine’s Jamie Schorr and the "Perfect Opportunity"

White papers


Modernizing government services for today’s resident expectations

24th January 2023

Preparing Your Community Now for the Next Generation of Older Adults

18th October 2022

Helping Government Fleets Achieve Their Goals

30th September 2022
view all

Webinars


Future-proof Your State and Local Government Finance: 5 Key Trends for 2023

6th February 2023

How To: Evaluate Digital Government Service Delivery Technologies

23rd January 2023

Using Technology to Enhance Communications

29th November 2022
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


25 of the best city flags flying over American metros and towns

7th February 2023

These 10 American cities are well prepared for a tech-based future

1st February 2023

Report: While remote work is causing offices to empty out, walkable cities are still in high demand

26th January 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

NYC wants to convert unused offices into housing units through relaxed regulations, incentivization dlvr.it/Sj7ls5

8th February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Tuning into your community: Top reasons why your agency needs a podcast dlvr.it/Sj7578

8th February 2023
AmerCityCounty

25 of the best city flags flying over American metros and towns dlvr.it/Sj2RyK

7th February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Residents ask government leaders to show measurable sustainability results and triumphs dlvr.it/Sj1znw

6th February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Future-proof Your State and Local Government Finance: 5 Key Trends for 2023 dlvr.it/Sj1KxB

6th February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Amid spike, federal transportation department launches initiative to curb traffic-related deaths dlvr.it/Shvs31

3rd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Engaging businesses to strengthen your community dlvr.it/ShvZn0

3rd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: Some public employees face financial hardship; comprehensive pay packages proved ‘a pathway toward economic… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

2nd February 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.