Another episode from the City Management Association of Oklahoma Summer Conference in Enid, as Mike and Dave were joined by Justin Battles, assistant city manager in Mustang and the outgoing president of the CMAO, who talked about mental health in the city manager job. The podcast also welcomed the incoming CMAO president, Chuck Ralls from the city of Collinsville, who discussed his goals for the coming year.

Mike and Dave continued recording from Enid and were joined by the city’s mayor, David Mason, who talked about the city's growth, how they navigated a recent tornado, and other challenges faced by cities and towns across the state.

The OML Podcast hit the road for the City Management Association of Oklahoma Summer Conference in Enid. Mike and Dave were joined again by Leslie Blair, the Oklahoma Municipal League’s legislative and communications director, who offered a School House Rock version of how the state legislative process works.

Mike and Dave talk with Leslie Blair, Oklahoma Municipal League’s legislative and communications director, who not only discussed her work at OML but also provided a recap of the 2026 legislative session and its impact on municipal governments across the state. “Honestly, this was a good session for municipal government,” Blair said.

Mike and Dave finished their recap of the Mayor's Summer Conference, which was held last month.

In the first of two parts, Dave and Mike recapped the recent Mayor's Summer Conference.

Mike and Dave are joined by Christian Rinehart, the Oklahoma Municipal League’s General Counsel, to discuss city council meetings and pitfalls that can cause chaos. This discussion dives into how city leaders can avoid the most common challenges in city meetings, including key legal tips.

In this episode, Mike and Dave discuss the duties of a city manager (after a brief detour into the new Star Wars film), the difference between city managers and town administrators, and how charters affect city managers' duties. Dave even gives us the day in the life of a city manager in Oklahoma.

After weeks of talking about how cities are funded through taxes, Mike and Dave explore enterprise funds, the most business-like way municipalities are funded. This includes fees for water, trash, storm water and other utility services, including gas and broadband, which a handful of cities manage. Mike and Dave also discuss the importance of keeping up with rising utility costs and the problem many cities run into when they avoid fee increases until it’s too late.

In this ongoing series on municipal funding, Mike and Dave focus on fees and fines, which Dave promises won’t be as heated as recent episodes. Fees often draw the most pushback from residents, but Dave and Mike discuss how city leaders should respond and communicate what fees are funding. Dave also shares his disdain for city-owned pools