1.What are the main issues facing Fargo and Town Manager Susan Harlow?
Fargo and Town Manager Harlow are on a slippery slope to corruption. I think that Harlow is handling her position the correct way by trying to remain neutral and sticking to a code of ethics so the problem really comes down to the political actors in the town. It is good that Harlow declined the invite to the dinner party, and cracked down on employees playing politics at work, that is a step in the right direction to removing the possibility of political corruption.
2.What is the basis for your answer to question #1?
At the end of the article Harlow remembers another city manager saying you never have more authority than the day you walk into your office What I get from that, and what I think Harlow got from that is that when you come into a position as a public manager everyone is going to want something from you. Political actors are going to want political favors, quid pro quos, you have something that everyone else wants and they are going to try and get that from you.
3.What are your recommended solutions to the problems you identified?
I think the best thing to do would be to continue to try to remain neutral. It will always be impossible to please absolutely everybody so the best thing to do is try to avoid doing everything everyone asks and stick to some sort of code of ethics.
4.What points do you agree, disagree or want further discussion from your fellow classmates and why? (tell them not me)
I think the overarching theme of this article is that people are going to want things from the government. I agree with Harlow’s steps to avoid political corruption in her administration by cracking down on political favors with the snow plows and referring to the ICMA code of ethics.
