Kingsport Spirit

This week, our Life Group lesson at church focused on stewardship. As we explored Biblical examples, we were invited to share experiences from our own lives. My mind immediately returned to my years in public service—to the intense budget seasons, the hard choices, and the weight of knowing every decision would affect real people.

Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. In local government, that means managing public resources—especially taxpayer dollars—with integrity, transparency, and foresight. The City Manager and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen aren’t owners of those funds; they’re caretakers. Their decisions reflect the priorities of the community.

The challenge is this: public money is finite, but community needs are not. Roads need repair. Water systems need upgrading. Fire and police need equipment. Employees need fair pay. Children deserve great schools and parks. Leaders must constantly weigh these competing needs and make difficult choices that balance immediate concerns with long-term outcomes. Budgeting isn’t just arithmetic—it’s stewardship. And that requires vision, discipline, and deep respect for public trust.

Good stewardship means looking beyond the current moment. It means prioritizing stability over popularity and laying the groundwork for growth and resilience. That might mean setting aside reserves, funding preventative maintenance, or investing in critical services like public safety or clean drinking water. Decisions made today will shape what’s possible tomorrow.

But stewardship isn’t only about big-picture planning—it’s also about the little things. Communities notice when the trash gets picked up, when streets are paved, or when city workers are treated with fairness and dignity.

At its core, stewardship is about remembering who the resources belong to: the people. Public leaders are making choices that affect every household—from those living comfortably to those scraping by. Whether it’s funding a new park or raising teacher pay, the question must always be: What serves the public good?

With stewardship comes accountability. Leaders must be open about how and why decisions are made. If they kick the can down the road, it may be popular for now, but it will inevitably result in delayed consequences.

May is the month when these difficult choices come to a head for city services, with final budget approval in June and the cycle starting again in December. For a city manager, it’s the hardest part of the job. Everything is important. There’s never enough to fund it all. And in the end, the Board—elected by their peers—must decide what makes the final cut.

While I was city manager, an unsolicited prayer warrior texted me almost every day saying something simple like, “Please know that we remembered you and our city in prayer today.” I can’t tell you how much that meant to me. It always seemed to come at just the right hour.

So, whatever the outcome, show them a little grace. It’s easy to sit on the sidelines and throw pot shots when you haven’t participated in the hundreds of hours that go into the decision. I’ve been there. I know how deeply they care about getting it right. The weight is heavy. The stress is real. Paying taxes and fees isn’t optional, and our elected and appointed officials are acutely aware of that fact.

I’ve seen them lose sleep, wrestle with tough trade-offs, and take on the collective conscience of the community—trying to speak for everyone, knowing that no decision will please all. It’s a heavy burden, not just of numbers, but of humanity.

Because in the end, faithful stewardship doesn’t just balance today’s needs—it builds the foundation for a better tomorrow.