Trust in Local Government

Local-government officials pride themselves on the fact that their work produces a higher level of trust than any other level of government enjoys. In 2014, 72 percent of Americans said that they trusted their local governments a "great deal" or a "fair amount," even though the trust level for government in general fell to a meager 24 percent that year.

That level of trust people feel for their local governments shouldn't be surprising: I see an amazing level of professionalism that would stir even higher numbers if only the public could see the effort and analysis that their communities' public servants put into improving results.

I attended the 2015 Annual TML Conference, a three-day workshop in San Antonio where public officials and workers gathered and shared their stories of and strategies for effecting improved public services and leading innovative change in their respective governments.

In each of these cases, local-government leaders are not only striving to innovate in their own municipalities but also are putting a tremendous amount of energy into ensuring that their successful programs are replicable by other communities.

Yes, there are plenty of problems in government: broken procurement processes, obsolete personnel systems, outdated technology, pay systems that do not reward excellence. All of these things take their toll.

But through my personal observation, Kerr County is filled with so many individuals pushing themselves and their teams, every single day, to find better ways to serve. The public needs to see this effort, to sense the commitment and potential.