For most of my career (almost 31 years now), I have consistently heard calls for smaller government, do more with less, and run it like a business. I have also heard non-stop demands for more government services, requests for more complex and technology heavy services, and increased expectations for perfect performance. Mistakes in government are not generally tolerated. We need to get the job done fast, right and five minutes ago.

At some point there is either a disconnect or a breaking point. Local government has done more with less for my entire career. The people I have worked with and for are always looking for ways to stretch the taxpayer dollar.

Your city employees and elected officials are taxpayers too. These good people are your friends and neighbors. They are engaged with the community and want what you want, safe neighborhoods, quality schools, safe roadways, and local amenities we can be proud of. Local government has been running lean for decades and they keep pushing forward even after the state government takes steps to make it harder and harder each year to provide the services our community demands.

Running government like a business is not as easy or as cool as it sounds. In government, we are not building widgets or in it to generate a profit. We are providing services. These services are complex and expensive. Public safety services are very expensive. Wages in the public safety arena are exploding.

Technology in the public safety profession is ever changing. This technology comes at a great cost. Our community expects police and fire agencies to employ advanced technology to keep the community safe. End of the day, we can’t provide these services for the same money we did five years or even two years ago. Inflation is real and we all feel it, even in government.

Recently, we have read many comments on our social media page that the City of Marshalltown needs to do more for kids. Local government should provide more amenities and activities for young people to help keep them out of trouble.

As a parent of five myself, I am not sure it is the responsibility of anyone but me to keep my kids entertained and out of trouble. However, I understand that not everyone has the same opportunities that my family has and it does take a whole community to help raise the next generation of community members and community leaders. Let’s take a quick look at what the city is doing now for families and kids.

• Through insightful leadership from the city council in 2020, the Marshalltown Police and Community Team (MPACT) was born. MPACT is an intervention program providing service within the city of Marshalltown. The service is a collaboration between the Marshalltown Police Department and YSS of Marshall County. MPACT’s community advocates, who are highly trained human service providers, are contacted when a non-emergent, non-criminal, police call comes in involving mental illness, family conflict, substance abuse, or emotional/behavioral situations. Since January of 2021, MPACT services have been responsible in our community ten hours a day. This program is working and is helping to build a safer Marshalltown.

• Have you had a chance to check out services provided by the Marshalltown Parks and Recreation Department? The Marshalltown Family Aquatic Center is a blast and a great way to spend a hot summer day. It is also priced as low as it can possibly be priced to make it easier for families to afford and enjoy.

• Summer Blast is a blast in the summer for area youth. The skate park is free. This park has pretty cool ramps and other amenities for the skateboard and bicycle enthusiast to half pipe, go vert, carve, etc. Plus, there is a cool graffiti wall for the artistic folks.

• Have you checked out the Parks & Rec web page https://www.marshalltown-ia.gov/773/Parks-Recreation? You can find all sorts of fun activities from soccer, volleyball and basketball to swimming and Taekwondo. The Marshalltown Parks & Recreation Department have a great Facebook page and website. Check them out.

• We have parks galore in our community. The city has acres upon acres of parks, playgrounds and trails. 200 acres to be exact, including 22 parks. Mega 10 is fantastic!

• Do you ever go to the Marshalltown Public Library? Holy cow! They have a ton of fun opportunities and activities for kids and families. We love the public library! The good folks at the library work each day to provide patrons with an amazing experience and second to none services.

These are just a few opportunities provided for kids and families via city services and programs. Check them out!

Sometimes people suggest the city should bring back amenities of a bygone era. Skatetown comes up a lot. There are probably good reasons these businesses no longer exist, but they could come back if someone in the community wanted to make that investment.

These ideas sound better suited for small business exploration by the private sector. We bet the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce would help local entrepreneurs set up business plans and pursue these opportunities. There is also a laundry list of private businesses and organizations in Marshalltown providing all kinds of recreation opportunities for kids and families.

I am proud to call Marshalltown home. My youngest children love it here and they are thriving in our public schools. Marshalltown is a great place to live, learn, work and play. Working together, we can build a community we are all proud to call home.

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Mike Tupper is the chief of the

Marshalltown Police Department.