What kind of puffery is this?

Rochester City Manager Katie Ambrose (City of Rochester screenshot)

To the editor:

Rochester's City Manager Katie Ambrose recently announced she completed her goal to attain the designation of ICMA Credentialed Manager.
(ICMA - International City/County Management Association)
She was honored with this distinction on 1/6/25.

I wonder if the City Manager already signed up for the "Local Reimagined Conference" in Milwaukee WI, to formally accept this distinction.
Will she be accompanied by an entourage from Rochester's Management Team?
Will Rochester Taxpayers also be funding this "junket"?
(Remember, best value rates for this event end 2/18/25)

ICMA's Global Executive Board has over 13,000 members in support of their Global Mission of Global Partnerships.
Aside from entry fees, membership dues, since 2022, appear to be capped at $1,200 a year.
(www.icma.org)

She, as well as other Rochester Department Managers are also affiliated with the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
(www.nhmunicipal.org)

This was confirmed through a past submission of a NH RSA 91-A. This is a NH State form designed to assist the public to help make government more transparent and accountable to the public.

Thousands of Rochester Taxpayer dollars are "shoveled" annually to NHMA alone, for her affiliation, as well as other city management department heads.

The practice of requiring a NH-RSA 91-A to find out how taxpayers money is being squandered on a group of politicians who want to "pad" their resumés is a travesty.

Furthermore, both of these organizations are Non Government Organizations, (NGOs)
Just because the New Hampshire Management Association uses New Hampshire in the title, doesn't make it a formal affiliate of the State of New Hampshire.
They are a private organization.

Where's all this government transparency we've been told about? It must be in their Cloud-9 APP!

Citizens of this community will need to remain vigilant and show defiance to the thousands of dollars in fees for City Managers who feel the need to be recognized by these alleged government "indoctrination" entities.

Where's all this government transparency we've been told about?

Study what you want, but use your own payroll funds, not the Taxpayers.

Never attempt to use "subterfuge" as a bluff to incorporate Socialist Agendas.

It's evident the City Manager is familiar with the use of a computer, as she was able to cut and post the ICMA's propaganda throughout the letter.

This is the United States of America.
There are enough laws already in State and Federal agencies to adequately cover our needs and safety concerns.

Why do we need to incorporate or consider rules and laws from another country? We don't!

The next time the City Manager leans over to tell the Mayor to relay to the citizenry to stop clapping, she should tell him "I Quit!"

The City Manager should take her International "Briefs" (aka: Talking Points), pack them in a duffel bag and head out into another international marketplace, on another continent.

- Lou Archambault,
Gonic