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Gov360

Chris Mann

The Most Watched Local Government Podcast in America

Hosted by City Manager Chris Mann, Gov360 brings together the leaders, ideas, and candid conversations shaping the future of local government.

Each episode goes beyond policy and headlines to explore the real experience of public leadership, including organizational culture, politics, innovation, technology, career development, community conflict, burnout, resilience, and the challenges facing the profession.

Gov360 features conversations with city managers, public executives, elected officials, innovators, and other leaders who offer real-world perspectives and practical insights for those committed to stronger communities and better local government.

Whether you're a city manager, rising administrator, elected official, or other local government professional, Gov360 provides the ideas, perspective, and leadership insight to help you lead with greater impact.

Stay informed. Stay inspired. Lead boldly.

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  • 23 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 50 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • #13
    Oct 14, 2025 · 1 hr

    Real Talk on Politics, PEG Funds, and Putting Your City on Camera with Joe Turner | Ep.11

    🎙️ Guest Appearance on the City Manager Unfiltered Podcast with Joe Turner What if you could build a full recording studio in your city without touching your general fund? That’s exactly what I did—and in this episode, I explain how. I recently joined Joe Turner on the City Manager Unfiltered podcast to unpack how cities can leverage PEG (Public, Educational, and Governmental) access funds to modernize communications, rebuild public trust, and engage the community in ways your website never will. We cover: ✅ What PEG funds are—and why your city might be sitting on hundreds of thousands of unused dollars ✅ How we turned an underutilized office at City Hall into a studio for an award-winning podcast ✅ Why long-form content + short-form clips can outperform traditional government comms ✅ Candid lessons from launching Yucaipa 360, including one thing I might do very differently ✅ How transparency today means meeting people where they are—not hiding behind “it’s on the website” We also dive into the leadership mindset required to thrive as a city manager, how to build resilience when facing termination risks, and that understanding the “why” behind your career matters more than ever. 🎥 Note for YouTube Viewers: This episode was recorded for an audio-only podcast, so following a video intro you’ll see a static image while the audio rolls. 🔑 Key Learnings: PEG funds are a powerful, underused tool—especially for digital media and council chambers upgrades. Professional-quality city podcasts are possible without using general fund dollars. Being proactive with communications builds trust, while hiding behind legal minimums erodes it. Authentic, long-form content can boost the perception of transparency—even if engagement is low. Your podcast can be an archive of helpful links to send when questions arise in the community. 🎧 Featured Topics: PEG funding 101 City podcast studios Government transparency Council dynamics and communications Leadership mindset in city management Lessons from Yucaipa 360 Developer relations & process streamlining Why video is the new town square 📚 Links & Resources: 🎙️ City Manager Unfiltered Podcast: Listen to Joe Turner’s show 📲 Connect with Joe Turner on LinkedIn 📲 Connect with Chris Mann on LinkedIn 📬 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter 🎙️ Subscribe to Gov360: Apple Podcasts | Spotify 🗣️ About Gov360: Gov360 is the show for local government professionals who want to lead with impact, master their craft, and rise to the top of the profession. Tags: LocalGovernment, CityManager, PEGfunding, PublicCommunications, Gov360, GovTech, CivicEngagement, Transparency, Podcasting, Leadership, CityManagerUnfiltered, Yucaipa360

  • #12
    Sep 30, 2025 · 1 hr 6 min

    Reclaiming the Narrative: Sam Toles on Fixing Local Government's Social Media Strategy | Ep.10

    🚨 Struggling with negativity on social media? Here’s how to take back control. 🎙️ Gov360 Episode 10! Sam Toles is back—this time in-studio—to dive even deeper into the social media crisis facing local governments and how to fix it. A former city councilmember turned Hollywood media executive, Sam is the founder of CiviSocial and the author of two game-changing books: 📘 The Social Media Playbook for City and County Managers 📗 *New this week:* The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials (forward written by Chris Mann) 💡 Whether you’re a city manager, PIO, department head, or elected official, this episode will shift how you think about public engagement—and show you a better way forward. In this episode, Chris and Sam unpack: Why toxic online discourse is driving talent out of local government The mindset shift that empowers staff and changes the game How to reframe your communications around staff, not politics Platform-by-platform do’s and don’ts (Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and more) Why Canva flyers, press releases, and static posts just don’t cut it anymore The “Mary on the Trails” story and how to turn staff into community heroes How one city went from 30 toxic commenters to just 1 in a matter of months ⸻ 🔗 Links & Resources: CiviSocial: https://civisocial.com The Social Media Playbook for City & County Managers: https://a.co/d/4K3UdBj The Social Media Playbook for Local Elected Officials: https://a.co/d/gO39KYB Connect with Sam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles1/ 📧 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7320606146577186817 ⸻ 📣 If this episode helped you, hit the like, subscribe, and share buttons to support the show and help other local government leaders find it. Until next time...govern boldly, my friends!

  • #11
    Sep 9, 2025 · 50 min

    Bridging Politics & Policy: Turning Political Signals into Smarter Local Government Strategy with Adam Probolsky | Ep.9

    “Ignoring politics doesn’t make it go away; it only makes local governments less prepared.” In this episode of Gov360, host Chris Mann sits down with Dr. Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research and Senior Research Fellow at the Drucker School of Management, to explore how city leaders can think politically without acting politically. They unpack why the traditional politics–policy divide holds organizations back and how governments can use politics as an early-warning system to anticipate challenges before they reach the council chambers. At the heart of the conversation is the Political Signals Memo—a simple, one-page weekly briefing that helps executive teams stay ahead of community sentiment, national narratives, and legislative ripples without crossing ethical lines. This episode provides practical, nonpartisan tools every local government can use to prevent surprises and build trust. 🧭 What You’ll Learn: The difference between thinking politically and acting politically How political narratives influence local issues (from tax measures to national debates spilling into council meetings) Why ignoring online chatter or national narratives can be risky for cities A practical framework for creating a weekly Political Signals Memo How transparency and honesty build trust with the community 🔗 Featured Topics: The politics–policy divide in local government Politics as an early-warning system Monitoring narratives without becoming partisan The Political Signals Memo: format, cadence, and ownership Guardrails for neutrality, ethics, and public records 📌 Resources & Mentions: Adam’s ICMA article: “A Strict Politics–Policy Divide Is Holding Your Organization Back” → https://icma.org/blog-posts/strict-politics-policy-divide-holding-your-organization-back Download the Political Signals Memo Template → https://www.chrismann.us/resources Learn more about Probolsky Research → https://probolskyresearch.com 📩 Join the Conversation: 💬 Connect with Chris on LinkedIn 🔁 Share this episode with a colleague in local government 📧 Subscribe to the free Gov360 Newsletter on LinkedIn 🎧 Follow Gov360 on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, or your favorite platform 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube → https://youtube.com/@gov360 Tags: Gov360, CityManager, LocalGovernment, PoliticsAndPolicy, PoliticalSignalsMemo, Leadership, PublicEngagement, ProbolskyResearch, ChrisMann, GovernBoldly

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