Elections can result in a change of the majority philosophy on a local governing body.  The agency’s staff typically understand that it is their job to implement any new policy direction.

Sometimes newly elected officials assume that if they have disagreed with one or more actions a prior majority has adopted, that they will not be able to work with staff member(s) whose job it has been to implement those prior actions.  This is an assumption that may not be correct. 

Staff and the knowledge and continuity that staff represents  is an agency asset.  Before reaching any conclusions relating to whether one can work with a given staff member, a newly elected official owes it to both the staff and the public the agency serves to determine whether staff stands ready to provide the same level of service to the newly elected officials as they provided to former agency leadership.