How to get plugged into local government in Fort Wayne

Hey Locals,

In recent months and weeks, we’ve noticed an increase in the number of residents showing up at or tuning into City Council meetings. And it turns out, we’re not alone.

City Clerk John McGauley thinks we’re seeing a “historic increase” in residents speaking at council’s biweekly public comment sessions on topics ranging from Flock cameras to data centers, quarries, homeless service centers and more. 

“It’s a big jump in public interest, and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest,” McGauley says. “For a long time, one of the biggest problems facing people in positions, like mine, was a lack of public engagement. Government and community life, in general, are better when people participate.” 

So… how can residents get more plugged into what City Council and other local decision-making bodies are doing? 

While you might not know much about McGauley’s work as Clerk, it probably matters to you more than you’d assume – especially if you value transparency and Downtown parking.

Today, we’re sitting down with McGauley to learn more about his job and background in local government, how you can get more plugged into city and county happenings, and other popular topics, like Downtown parking, that fall under his jurisdiction. 

Let’s start with the basics.

1. Job + background

McGauley admits the job of City Clerk is largely administrative, but he has two primary responsibilities that most affect residents like you:

1. Managing the business of City Council: Acting as “the funnel for information” between residents and representatives, recording minutes at weekly council meetings, and making information, like agendas and schedules, more accessible to the public online. 
2. Managing Downtown parking and parking control: There are 750 parking meters in Downtown Fort Wayne, and Downtown parking, in general, is one of the biggest hot-button issues for residents across town.

Beyond this, McGauley has a long history of experience working in city and county government – and local news.

• Fun fact: He’s a fellow Fort Wayne journalist, circa. 1994-1998 at the News-Sentinel (RIP) who says his goal is to improve government transparency and parking accessibility. Today, he continues to pursue his journalistic interests in a photography side gig, and some of his work has been featured in a Sunday edition of The New York Times. (All pictures in today’s newsletter, except his headshot, are taken by him.)
• He says being City Clerk is his “dream job,” and he has already started making changes behind-the-scenes to make City Council more accessible. He originally ran for Clerk (unsuccessfully) in 2003 and didn’t think he would get the chance again. But in January, the Allen County Republican Party in January appointed him to carry out the remainder of Lana Keesling's term until 2028.
• Prior to this, he served as County Recorder for two terms, another recordkeeping job, where he also worked to increase transparency. As recorder, he put together a neighborhood resource center where his team uploaded 6,000 sets of neighborhood covenants that residents can search online for free. “Everything we did was about getting information into the hands of more people without them having to come Downtown or go through dusty old books to find it,” McGauley says. 
• Since 2014, he has been a Court Administrator in Allen Superior Court, which gives him insight into some challenges the county is facing regarding the new Allen County Jail. “The biggest thing for the county coming down the road is a re-thinking of how criminal justice works,” he tells us.

2) So how can residents like you get more plugged into city and county happenings?

McGauley believes transparency and a lack of trust in public institutions are key issues facing local officials at all levels. “Whether I’m Fort Wayne’s City Clerk for a year-and-a-half or 10 years, that’s what I want to fix,” he says. “Nobody trusts us; nobody believes what we say or do, and I believe the only way to make the future what we want it to be is to increase transparency.” 

Here’s what he recommends to citizens who want to get more plugged into local government.