Election campaigns can be highly stressful and combative, but they are a sprint. Governance over the next four years is a marathon. A mayor-elect will begin to establish the tone — good or bad — of his or her administration between the election and the inauguration. And the message and initiatives communicated in the first six months are likely to define an administration for the next four years.
After an election victory, the work-at-hand begins in earnest for the mayor-elect.
- Where do you begin in forming a transition committee?
- Who do you appoint to your administrative team?
- How do you gather information to build a base of knowledge for your new staff?
- When do you start making board and commission appointments?
- How do you assemble key documents (e.g., city charter, state personnel law, operating budget, professional services contracts and union contracts)?
- Who helps identify key actions and decisions you must make in the first 90 days of office?
FaegreBD Consulting and Faegre Baker Daniels have offered transition advice for new mayors in many cities over the years, including Indianapolis, Newark, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Gary, Michigan City, and Evansville. Our professionals have played leadership roles in more than a dozen transitions. With experience and expertise in all aspects of a transition, our team can provide advice on the practical legal and ethical aspects of a transition, including new personnel hires (and former personnel terminations), messaging budgets, management structure and policy issues.
Beyond advising the mayor, FaegreBD Consulting and Faegre Baker Daniels professionals also help local government transition teams. The selection of key staff is one of the most important tasks of any mayoral transition, and often the transition team needs guidance on that initiative. Also, most transition teams help the mayor-elect with messaging and communication on new staff announcements, proposed "fixes" to past administration issues and reaching out to all constituents, especially those who were not supportive during the campaign but are key stakeholders in the community.
In addition to our experience with mayoral transition, FaegreBD Consulting and Faegre Baker Daniels professionals counsel elected officials and municipalities regularly on day-to-day issues operations and planning. Because a new mayor can spend six months launching new ideas and 3½ years implementing them, professionals who provide day-to-day advice and counsel at the start of a new administration help more easily identify potential challenges and obstacles down the road.
It is important for a new mayor to send a strong signal to the public and media that works to establish an intentional image — and begins to inoculate against the inevitable mistakes by communicating that an energetic, innovative government involves change and inevitably some mistakes. When mistakes are made (mayors are human, you know), how you react is essential to your future success.
Our team's services include a mayor-elect transition manual materials and guides as well as a mayor-elect transition checklist.
With hands-on experience, we understand the particulars and peculiarities facing a mayor-elect, a mayoral transition team, and other newly elected officials. We can help navigate through a smooth transition from one administration to another.
Our Professional Team:
FaegreBD Consulting
Faegre Baker Daniels