Amid distrust and volatility, leaders urge governments to ‘walk the talk’

MINNEAPOLIS — With federal funding cuts, job losses, the inexorable rise of artificial intelligence threatening to disrupt entire industries and an increasing distrust of public institutions and expertise, 2025 has been a tricky year for state and local leaders.

Perhaps the most troubling for state and local officials is the distrust members of the public have of them and the governments they lead. Gallup found in recent polling that, while trust in state and local governments has not declined as sharply as trust in the federal government has, it is still on something of a downslope, with the gap especially pronounced on partisan lines.

If governments want to reverse that trend, local leaders said, they must live up to their promises to their residents and deliver. So, for example, if they say they are going to put free Wi-Fi access in public parks, they must make sure they deliver on that promise and “walk the talk.” Not doing so, and making excuses for why they cannot, undermines that public trust.

“There's distrust with the government when the leaders say one thing and the residents watch something else happen, or that thing they said doesn't happen,” Mesa, Arizona Chief Information Officer Scott Conn said during a panel discussion at last week’s GOVIT Leadership Summit and Symposium, hosted by the Public Technology Institute in Minneapolis. “You’ve got to walk the talk. The proof is in the pudding. If you want to build trust in your organization, you want to build trust in your city, your local government, you have to walk the talk. You have to deliver.”

Being more transparent about any challenges they face can also help improve public trust, said Kevin Wilkins, CIO and chief artificial intelligence officer for Fort Collins, Colorado. Using the example of installing Wi-Fi in a park, he said that if a city encounters, say, infrastructure issues or local ordinances that slow progress, they should be “vulnerable” and honest with the public about the friction they have faced. Governments also should be more willing to take control of the narrative, he said, rather than let outsiders shape it.

“We've got to start to think about that a lot differently and proactively, because the amount of information and disinformation that comes in that people actually think is factual, they create their own narrative, they create their own outcomes, and then they react and that causes us to react,” Wilkins said. “Then what do we do? We all withdraw into a state of fear. We've got to really push out of that."

In parallel to that rising distrust, resident expectations for how government services perform continue to rise, especially as they compare them with the speed and apparent efficiency of the private sector. Conn said many in society now are looking for the “instant gratification,” they might get through fast shipping and returns through e-commerce platforms, or even interacting through a smartphone.

Those heightened expectations could make residents even more restless as they await progress on leaders’ priorities and projects, and when governments fall short, they should not fall back on what Conn called “political speak” or “deny reality.” Instead, tell the truth, he said.

“You've got to deliver the goods,” he said. “It's as simple as that, and even if something goes wrong, own up to it. Don't be a victim. Don't say, ‘Well, it wasn't our fault. We tried real hard.’ The residents don't care. All they care about is that you delivered the goods and you made the promise.”

Having a robust communication strategy, then, is key to help navigate through volatile times. Elizabeth Lo, chief operating officer for Harris County, Texas’ Universal Services department, recalled suffering from a winter storm earlier this year that dumped several inches of snow on the ground, knocked out power and left much of the county struggling.

Once the county had stood up its multi-agency Emergency Operations Center, it was critical to get services back online and communicate about its progress. The county also had to be prepared to communicate how to help vulnerable populations and those struggling, especially connecting them with resources like a warming shelter, overnight shelter and other social services.

“It has to be fast,” Lo said. “It has to be quick, working round the clock. In those intense periods, people are 24/7 doing shifts in times like that. I was on site as a communication point, understanding what was going on in the EOC. I have somebody online, working from home, changing call flows, so that we can tell people, ‘Hey, this is how you get to a warming shelter. This is a transportation schedule. This is how you do it.’ And we didn't do that alone.”

It can be difficult to maintain staff morale during difficult times, especially as uncertainties around revenue could mean budget cuts and job losses. Leaders suggested various ways to show people they are appreciated, including an initiative in Mesa where an employee rings a big bell in the middle of the office whenever “anything good happens,” Conn said. It’s incumbent on leadership to be present, too.

“When we think about morale, we tend to always think about merit, performance, inclusion, belonging,” Wilkins said. “Sometimes it's just taking the time to get to know them and understand the struggles and challenges that they're navigating, both in their professional as well as their personal lives.”