Perspectives on social equity in local government administration: Scheduling a city council hearing during San Diego’s COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT

Learning how to ensure public access and advance social equity in the legislative process is critical to navigating an ambiguous local government context. This case study compares and contrasts the perspectives of and diverse demands on two public administrators, the San Diego City Clerk and the Chief of Staff to the San Diego City Council President, as they navigate the critical decision to hold a City Council hearing to consider emergency actions, including direction to draft an eviction moratorium, during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Through presenting the viewpoints of a leader in an independent city operations department and a leader in an elected official’s office, we demonstrate how to analyze and think critically, facilitate public participation, and lead in the public interest. This case study encourages students to develop an awareness of these perspectives and to reflect on social equity through the lens of public access and the legislative process.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19 pandemic
• local government
• mayor-council form of government
• NASPAA competencies
• public hearing
• social equity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dominika Bukalova

Dominika Bukalova is an assistant professor of public administration at San Diego State University, Imperial Valley, and in the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University. Her research interests include leadership development and local government administration. Specifically, her current research focuses on the competencies that support leadership practice in public administration and how competencies are developed to address challenges in a local government context. Prior to joining the faculty, Dominika worked in local government, where her experience included serving as Chief of Staff to the San Diego City Council President and holding the positions of Director of Policy and Committee Consultant at the San Diego City Council. Dominika is a certified leadership coach and her professional experience includes strategic planning and leadership development consulting. Dominika earned her Ph.D. in leadership studies at the University of San Diego. She is a graduate of San Diego State University (M.A. in Political Science) and The George Washington University (B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs).

Elizabeth Maland

Elizabeth Maland is the retired City Clerk for the City of San Diego. During her tenure as City Clerk, she oversaw a department of 49 employees, which provided core services to the City of San Diego. These included all of the docketing, noticing and minutes preparation for the City Council Meetings, citywide records management and city election coordination and campaign finance and lobbyist disclosure. In her capacity as City Clerk, Ms. Maland served as the City’s elections official and the filing official for the City of San Diego. A Brown University graduate, Ms. Maland has worked for the City of San Diego for over thirty years in a variety of departments, including Police, Purchasing, Library and Transportation. Ms. Maland received many awards in recognition of the access improvements she has implemented within her department. These include: The 2016 “Window Award,” which is given to the public official who most prioritized transparency and the public’s right to know. It is sponsored by the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists. That same year, she received the Edward L. Bernay’s Mark of Excellence “Diogenes Award” by the San Diego Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The award recognizes a San Diego newsmaker who has demonstrated a remarkable and commendable understanding of the need for candor when dealing with the public and the news media, regardless of any potential negative outcome. The 2017 Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO) People in Preservation Award, which recog- nizes outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation for the City Clerk Digital Archives and the creation of the City’s Archives Access & Preservation Project. The 2018 Archival Award of Excellence from the California Historical Records Advisory Board which was established to honor individuals who have done superior work in archives and records management within California within the past five years. The 2020 Partner of the Year Award from the Downtown San Diego Partnership/Create the Future Award which was presented to an individual from a city, county, state, or other government partner in recognition of their work to ensure Downtown is a vibrant and dynamic economic center. The 2021 recognition at the Chamber’s Legislative Lounge – along with the County Clerk – for meeting management skills during COVID-19. The 2022 recognition as a Woman of the District for California’s 39th District by Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins which recognized women leaders that make the community great.