Narrative-first, evidence-driven

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Local government is where you often get the fastest feedback loop. It’s also where “monthly squeeze” shows up as real decisions: housing approvals, fees, school climate, policing priorities, contracts.

What counts as “local”

• City council / mayor
• Planning commission / zoning board
• School board
• County board / sheriff
• Special districts (parks, water, transit, utilities)
• City staff (planning, public works, procurement)

What local can actually move (the knobs)

Housing + cost of living

• Permitting speed, process, and predictability
• Zoning / land use (what can be built where)
• Fees and exactions (and when they’re charged)
• Inspections capacity and timelines
• ADUs, duplexes, missing-middle allowances

Schools

• Staffing and classroom support
• Discipline policies and safety procedures
• Curriculum process transparency
• Vendor contracts (curricula, testing, tech)

Public safety

• Enforcement priorities (what gets attention)
• Training, hiring, accountability systems
• Alternatives / diversion programs
• Data transparency (stops, complaints, outcomes)

Procurement / contracts (quiet power)

• Vendor selection criteria
• Contract terms and renewals
• Performance metrics and audit clauses
• Open data on spend

“Small stuff” that’s huge

• Sidewalks, transit stops, crossings
• Library hours
• Parks safety and maintenance
• Local health enforcement capacity

The local calendar (how timing works)

• Agendas: usually posted days in advance (sometimes a week)
• Committees: most work happens before the main meeting
• Budget season: when the real choices get locked in (learn your city’s months)
• Planning/zoning: public hearings are the decision choke points

Best core playbooks to pair with local

• 01 One-Ask Engine (default)
• 06 Public Meeting (show up + testify)
• 08 Accountability / Watchdog Lite (budgets + contracts + metrics)
• 09 Coalition Basics (you’ll need allies)

The “local move” (minimum viable)

1. Find the decision point (vote? hearing? staff decision? contract renewal?)
2. Do one ask that fits local authority
3. Show up (or submit) once, follow up once
4. Log it, and move on

One-Ask examples (local)

• “Publish a monthly dashboard on permitting times by project type.”
• “Fund 2 additional inspectors to reduce backlog within 6 months.”
• “Adopt a standard timeline: initial permit review within 15 business days.”
• “Require performance and audit clauses in the next vendor renewal.”
• “Hold one public work session on [topic] before the vote.”

Watchouts (local failure modes)

• Process fog: “we’ll study it” becomes a graveyard.
• Staff scapegoating: staff are constrained; target the constraint (budget, rules, priorities).
• Drama gravity: meetings can become performance art. Don’t take the bait.

What success looks like (local)

• A decision with a date
• A published metric
• A funded capacity increase
• A rule that makes outcomes predictable

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