Public Money Pod

Local Government Trust and Auditing with Mark Funkhouser

Mark Funkhouser spent decades in government service, first as a municipal auditor, then as Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri and he discusses how the role of local governments has changed and who they really serve. Now leading Funkhouser & Associates, he brings that experience to bear on local government accountability, the rise of private equity in essential services, and what monopoly control means for the communities that have no choice but to pay up.

From Federal to Local: Reimagining Public Sector Careers with Caitlin Lewis

This week, we sit down with Caitlin Lewis, Founding Executive Director of Work for America, to explore the shifting landscape of public sector employment. We discuss how her organization is helping workers navigate the transition from federal to local government amid ongoing federal restructuring, what it takes to fix a hiring process that too often drives talented people away, and why working in government deserves a serious rebrand. Caitlin also shares her thinking on how to inspire the next generation to see public service as a meaningful and exciting career path.

Investing in the Water distribution infrastructure with Adam Carpenter and Rachel Gonsenhauser

In this week's episode, we sit down with Adam Carpenter, Manager of Energy and Environmental Policy, and Rachel Gonsenhauser, Regulatory Technical Manager of Government Affairs at the American Water Works Association, to explore the state of water distribution systems across the United States. They discuss the scale of investment needed to modernise ageing infrastructure and what that means for consumers and their water bills.

How Boston Is Financing Its Climate Future with Chris Osgood and Ian Donnelly

This week, we sit down with Chris Osgood, Director of Boston's Office of Climate Resilience and Senior Advisor for Infrastructure to Mayor Michelle Wu, and Ian Donnelly, Deputy Budget Director and Director of Capital Planning for the City of Boston. We explore how Boston is embedding climate resilience into its capital planning process and the tough tradeoffs between near-term fiscal pressures and long-term resilience investments. We also discuss what other cities can learn from Boston's approach to making climate-conscious infrastructure spending a core part of public finance.

Modernising the Philadelphia Parking Authority with Keola Harrington

This week we are joined by Keola Harrington, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) to discuss how the PPA has evolved since it's creation nearly seventy years ago. How the institution has changed to facilitate mobility in the city for the residents and using technology for these purposes.