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."
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.