Oct 8, 2026 · 13 min · 8 segments
In a small community, local leadership can feel very close to home. In Burk's Falls, decisions about infrastructure, local services, economic development, and community growth aren't just items on a…
Christopher BrownHostWhat are you proud of when it comes to Burks Falls? Is there something you say, wake up and you say, "You know what? We have these challenges, we have the growth challenges, but we have this going right for us." What's that X for you?
So understanding how the organization is supposed to, supposed to work, the people that you need in there to make it work, you have to understand that you yourself as an individual politician can't do this work, and you shouldn't do this work.
What you have to do is you have to build a team that can manage this stuff, and that, that team building is the most important thing in any municipality anywhere.
Your staff ha- they have to be encouraged to, to take on these challenges, and say, "You're doing a great job," or, "This is how we'll do it in the future," or, "This is how we can change." So long as you're feeding them as a politician everything they need to operate, uh, a modern, uh, municipality, which is very complicated, and increasingly complicated every year.
So, [laughs] so there's all those little added layers, and, and the strength of your community comes back to that organization, that playing team you've got out on the field.
And I will say this, you know, whereas 40 years ago, it may have been hard to find really good, qualified people to handle a small, rural, uh, municipality because people didn't move jobs very often.
And of course, with, with, uh, the internet and, and AI and all these other things, that's just more tools for your staff to make your municipality a better place.
What are you proud of when it comes to Burks Falls? Is there something you say, wake up and you say, "You know what? We have these challenges, we have the growth challenges, but we have this going right for us." What's that X for you?
So understanding how the organization is supposed to, supposed to work, the people that you need in there to make it work, you have to understand that you yourself as an individual politician can't do this work, and you shouldn't do this work.
What you have to do is you have to build a team that can manage this stuff, and that, that team building is the most important thing in any municipality anywhere.
Your staff ha- they have to be encouraged to, to take on these challenges, and say, "You're doing a great job," or, "This is how we'll do it in the future," or, "This is how we can change." So long as you're feeding them as a politician everything they need to operate, uh, a modern, uh, municipality, which is very complicated, and increasingly complicated every year.
So, [laughs] so there's all those little added layers, and, and the strength of your community comes back to that organization, that playing team you've got out on the field.
And I will say this, you know, whereas 40 years ago, it may have been hard to find really good, qualified people to handle a small, rural, uh, municipality because people didn't move jobs very often.
And of course, with, with, uh, the internet and, and AI and all these other things, that's just more tools for your staff to make your municipality a better place.
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