By Piper Wood
Meleesa Johnson is the Director of the Marathon County Solid Waste Department in Marathon County, Wisconsin. She also serves on the Stevens Point City Council representing the fifth district, and was elected the council president by her peers in 2017. Meleesa’s unique role as both an elected city official and government employee in Wisconsin gives her an opportunity to see and cooperate with both sides of state and city government. In her Herocrats interview, Meleesa outlined some of the lessons that she has gleaned from both sides of the public service coin, focusing on what government employees and elected officials can learn from each other.
“There's this intermingling of my professional life and my political life, just because of what I do for a living. But I always have to predicate, ‘I'm speaking as, not as an elected official, I'm speaking here as, a professional working for Marathon County’ or conversely. So I have to be careful to walk that line very, very carefully, but there is so much overlap.”
Despite the challenges of delineating her roles, Johnson has found it helpful to be able see things from the other side.
“From a practical perspective, I find it very helpful in my policy-making because I know what it's like to be staff. Staff needs clear direction. And when policymakers can't make up their mind, or if there's conflict, it's staff that suffers.I know what it's like to be staff when there's no clear direction. As staff, I also understand the challenges of trying to create policy when there is not agreement among policy makers. It gives me insight into those worlds that helped me understand why things move along slowly.”
Colleagues in both positions turn to Meleesa for advice, due to her ‘birds eye view’ of policy work from a dual perspective as a staff member and an elected official.
“It's very, very beneficial because it gives me insight that I think is very helpful in both situations.”
Meleesa has thought a lot about how elected officials and government employees could more effectively work together. Foundationally, she sees a need for greater knowledge of the processes behind government work, and the need to identify the why of staff positions.
“There is sometimes a lack of understanding of the public policy process, even at the local level or the state level or federal level. Well, what underpins your work? What underpins your work are policies that are set forward in ordinance or statute. As staff, you need to understand the policy basis of your work, particularly if you want to get into more leadership roles.”
On the flip side, Johnson sees a knowledge gap for elected officials as well.
“While I was talking about staff needing to understand the public policy process, elected officials also need to understand the public policy process, and understand statutory authority.”
Specifically, Johnson sees City Council as a body with influence, so long as Council understands their role in making decisions and feels empowered to make a decision, without giving into electoral fears.
“Because as I've talked with them, they said, well, it's the mayor's budget, right? No, this is our biggest policy document. And it's our budget. It's not the mayor's budget. It is the council's budget.”
Johnson’s role as both an elected city official and a government employee offers her insight into the integral part that these positions can play in furthering and implementing policy. With these roles in mind, Johnson works as a Herocrat in her community to build capacity and increase knowledge sharing between public servants in her community in Marathon County, Wisconsin.
Have you ever worked in a position that gave you insight into two differing roles? What was this learning experience like?
