The First 90 Days: Municipal Management Essentials

Dates:  October 29, November 5 & November 12
Time:  9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. (2-hour session) on all 3 dates 

Instructor:  Ben Estell

Benjamin Estell is a leader in cooperative government and regional collaboration, serving as Executive Director of a Council of Governments. He previously served for nearly a decade as Borough Manager of Dormont, Pennsylvania, and seven years as Service‑Safety Director for East Liverpool, Ohio. Benjamin is known for building consensus, leading through uncertainty, and developing solutions that serve diverse stakeholders with professionalism and trust.

This session is designed to be interactive.  To encourage open discussion and active participation, this session will not be recorded. Come prepared to turn on your camera, share your thoughts, and participate in the conversation. Your experiences and insights will help make the learning meaningful for everyone.

Course Description

Stepping into a municipal manager role can be both exciting and challenging. The first 90 days are critical for establishing credibility, understanding organizational priorities, building relationships, and laying the foundation for long-term success. This practical, action-oriented course focuses on the essential knowledge and skills new municipal managers need to navigate their responsibilities with confidence.

This course provides newly appointed municipal managers, administrators, assistant managers, and local government leaders with the essential knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed during their first 90 days in office. Participants will learn how to build effective relationships with elected officials and staff, navigate legal and ethical responsibilities, manage meetings and public records, understand municipal finances, supervise employees, and identify organizational priorities and risks.

Through real-world scenarios, interactive discussions, and hands-on exercises, participants will develop a practical framework for leading with confidence, maintaining compliance, and establishing credibility within their organization. By the end of the course, attendees will leave with a personalized action plan to guide their transition into municipal leadership and support long-term success.

Key Topics

• The Manager’s Role
• Building Relationships and Credibility
• Staying Legally Compliant
• Managing Meetings, Records and Information
• Financial Oversight
• Managing Personnel and Operations
• First 90-day priorities and planning

---

Who Should Attend

Newly appointed municipal managers, administrators, assistant managers, and officials transitioning into a management role.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you can expect to be able to:

1. Establish effective relationships with elected officials and staff
2. Navigate legal and ethical responsibilities
3. Manage meetings, records, and public information requests
4. Monitor municipal finances
5. Identify organizational priorities and risks
6. Develop a practical 90-day action plan

Registration

• Send a message to lla@pml.org for group rates for ten or more registrants
• By registering for this course, you are authorizing the League Learning Academy to send information to you at your email address related to educational offerings.
• Once your registration is completed, you should receive a confirmation email from The PA Municipal League. It contains the zoom link to the course. If you do not receive an email, check your spam folder.
• Participants must attend the entire 3-hour session to earn a course certificate.

Cancellation & No‑Show Policy

• Cancellations must be submitted in writing at least 72 hours before the class to receive a full refund.
• Cancellations after 72 hours may receive a partial refund, minus a processing fee.
• No‑shows or failure to cancel will forfeit the full registration fee