In a June 21 opinion column in the News and Record of Greensboro, John Alexander, the Isabella Cannon Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership at Elon University, identifies numerous benefits in the council-manager form of government and urges city and county elected bodies in the region not to abandon the government structure that has "a long and successful history in North Carolina."
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Among the strengths of the council-manager (or board-manager) form of government, Alexander highlights, “a necessary division between the legitimate policy and political responsibilities of the elected officials and the day-to-day operations of government overseen by the appointed manager.”
Alexander also underscores the need for long-term vision in order for municipalities to succeed, writing, “if our elected officials are not also taking a longer view and envisioning what our cities, county and region could become, and what their future needs will be — especially with regard to education and economic development — we will pay a heavy price.”
At Elon University, Alexander works primarily with the School of Law to advance leadership components of the school’s curriculum.
Click on the E-Cast link to the right of this article to read Alexander’s complete opinion column in the News and Record.