Sara Serves: Elections
It’s May and Spring in Virginia. Flowers are blooming, the days are longer, and families are starting to think about graduations and beach trips.
But in our world, it’s also the start of the silly season.
While most people are easing into summer and planning their next float trip, politicians are revving their engines for the sprint to November. And managers? We live in both worlds. We white knuckle our grip on everyday life with our families, while also navigating the turbulence of campaigns, anxious incumbents, and energized challengers.
This is also when we begin the delicate dance with first-time candidates. If we are lucky, they come in curious and open-minded. Less lucky, and they arrive convinced they’ve uncovered “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Either way, they often bring a mix of misinformation and concern about how things have been done.
Even for experienced managers, this season can be challenging, especially in communities with divided governing bodies or a polarized populace.
So, while I’m sending you all good vibes for a smooth election cycle, I’ll also offer two opportunities to prepare. Whether it’s for watching a cage match of a campaign or a civilized debate amongst equals, there is help:
• VLGMA’s summer conference will include a Thursday workshop on onboarding newly elected officials (and honestly, that work should start while they’re still candidates—but you still have time).
• ICMA is offering a three-part virtual series on the same topic, with details below.
No matter how long we do this work, it continues to surprise us and those surprises often come from our governing bodies. How we begin relationships with new officials can shape everything that follows.
So enjoy the graduations. Plan the vacations. But set aside a little headspace for what’s coming.
And good luck.
Working with Elected Officials: Stories from the Trenches
Dates: June 16-30, 2026
Time: 1:00-2:30 PM ET
Cost: $395 ICMA Member | $695 Nonmember
Welcome to our new members:
Phil Spence, City of Charlottesville, Risk Manager
Keith Harless, Town of Pennington Gap, Town Manager
David Street, Manager in Transition
Rebecca Nuckols, City of Covington, Administrative Assistant
Steve Hudgins, Town of West Point, Acting Town Manager
Tyler Park, City of Emporia, Director of Planning & Zoning