Editor’s note: Following is commentary submitted for publication by Whitewater City Manager John Weidl.
Integrity first, service before self, excellence in all we do. These are the core values that drive me as a public servant with almost 25 years serving in the public, non-profit, military, and educational sectors.
Integrity first. This means we do what is right even when no one is watching. Whether it is being where we say we will, even if no one is there to clock us in, or it is doing the things we will say we will do, even when the position’s discretion and autonomy provides us the opportunity to do otherwise. Having integrity means the community can count on us to respond when their needs arise, rely on us to follow through, and despite any disagreements, people will continue reaching out to us because they know we prioritize our oath to serve the community above all else.
This also means we do not distort the truth, not about our successes, our failures, where things stand, other people in the organization or community, or to otherwise improve our own position – not with spoken word, not through email, not through others, and not online. We do not lie to achieve outcomes, even if the outcome itself achieves positive results. This also means we do not trade in gossip or rumors and our integrity requires we remain professional even in the face of unprofessional people and conversations. We will not attack someone personally for doing what they are asked to do professionally. Our strategic partners will know that where we stand on an issue is not based on where we sit with respect to any spectrum of beliefs.
Service before self. This means we put the needs of others first – our increasingly diverse community, our coworkers, our customers, our constituents, and everyone else who relies on the city and its services each and every day. We will not use the foundations of our position and our authority or power to further ideas and agendas that are self-serving or seek to bring harm to others or the community. We serve all others equally, without fear of reprisal. For those that would seek to admonish us for this commitment, we continue to serve with the same professionalism and diligence for you as we serve all.
While serving others before ourselves, we will remain mindful of the great responsibility that is given to the city government, as an organization, and to us as its stewards, to create policies and programs that provide essential community and capacity building services. We will continue to build and expand services that reflect the changing nature of the way people live, work, shop, and play in Whitewater and across the region. This includes ensuring equal access to public spaces that promote educational and cultural opportunities supporting diverse languages, cultures, and yes, viewpoints.
Excellence in all we do. Blending our integrity and our service together, we do that in pursuit of truly excellent government and governance. We will be excellent in our own actions first and we will seek to help those around us achieve excellence as well. We will be excellent in our desire to provide transparent services and operations. We will be excellent in pursuit of the outcomes of the city’s strategic plan. We will be excellent incorporating input that represent a cross-section of the community and our desire to continue to bring residents, employees, business owners, the school district, and the university into the decision-making and communications process.
We will have tough conversations because avoiding them is a failure to our community and the progress it has demanded we achieve. We will use community input gathered in an open, transparent and respectful manner. We will stretch for transformational ideas and goals because nothing worth doing comes at zero cost. We will use our powers to uplift and build instead of destroying.
In short, integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. Those are the values I ask that you incorporate into your thinking and being because it will lead to the betterment of our entire community.
John Weidl
Whitewater City Manager
John Weidl
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