Local governments already devote the majority of their budgets to essential services like public safety, infrastructure, waste management and maintaining public spaces. The issue is whether they are delivering those services well. Too often, deteriorating roadways are not addressed until they become hazards. Emergency response times worsen until they become a system emergency. Permitting processes stretch from weeks to months to years. Maintenance is deferred until costs multiply. Capital construction projects go over budget and over time. These failures are systemic and compounding.
Cities, generally, do not need more programs to fix this. They need governing discipline, a willingness to innovate and to streamline processes and technology.
Call it “pothole politics”: a focus on the execution of the stuff that matters, delivering core services consistently, efficiently and at a standard residents can rely on. It starts with defining clear expectations, like how fast a permit should be issued. It means developing and measuring key performance indicators, tracking data and then managing to those standards by holding departments accountable for results.
First, cities should establish clear, measurable service standards and make them public. If a pothole is reported, there should be a defined repair window that is measured in days to fill. If a permit is submitted, there should be a predictable turnaround time that applicants can rely on. If trash collection is missed, it should be resolved immediately and tracked. It should also be made transparent in public-facing dashboards. What gets measured gets managed.
Second, accountability must be tied to outcomes. Departments should be evaluated based on how effectively they deliver results. That requires aligning incentives so that leadership and staff are rewarded for meeting service standards and improving performance over time. It also requires a willingness to address underperformance directly and immediately, rather than allowing inefficiencies to persist.
Third, technology should be at the core of strategic investment planning. Digital permitting systems can reduce approval times from months to weeks or even days. Integrated service platforms can track requests from submission to resolution, ensuring nothing is lost or delayed. Data analytics can optimize routing for waste collection, staffing for emergency services and prioritization of infrastructure repairs, as long as the data is clean and reliable. The objective is to make government faster, more responsive and easier to navigate.
Fourth, leaders need to reset political incentives around long-term performance. Not every effective decision produces an immediate political payoff. Some of the most important improvements require upfront effort and may not generate headlines. Leadership requires the discipline to prioritize those outcomes over short-term approval. This also means that executive political leaders should deprioritize their flashy legacy projects in favor of focusing on the core fundamentals of good government.
This is the fundamental argument of pothole politics. Cities that focus on improving the fundamentals build operational capacity. When core services are delivered effectively and efficiently, governments gain the ability to take on more complex challenges. Housing initiatives are faster because permitting, plan reviews and inspections are more efficient. Public safety strategies are more effective because response systems are more reliable. Infrastructure investments are easier to execute on time and on budget because the structures are in place to do it.
Cities do not need to choose between ambition or competence, because competence builds the path to ambition. Getting the basics right makes bold ideas possible.
If local governments focus on execution, on delivering the services that residents rely on every day, they can become more reliable and effective. That shift is achievable when local leaders prioritize it. For cities looking to improve affordability, restore trust and create real opportunity, pothole politics is the most direct path forward.
Erik Clarke is a private-sector chief financial officer and writes on issues of public policy, economic opportunity and the future of cities. A Denver resident, he holds a master’s degree in public administration from Ohio State University.
Governing's opinion columns reflect the views of their authors and not necessarily those of Governing's editors or management.
Related Articles
