When David Jenkins, La Plata, Maryland Town Council member, attended the Local-Motive session “Parsing Through Your Local Budget to Find Some Real Answers”—co-presented by Chuck Marohn of Strong Towns and Michel Durand-Wood, author of the Dear Winnipeg blog—he left with a new mission: to take a hard look at his own city’s finances. Inspired by the session, David worked directly with Michel, who helped him build spreadsheets, translate Canadian concepts to the American context, and uncover critical insights about La Plata’s fiscal health.

David, a longtime Strong Towns member and leader of Strong Towns Charles County, has been working to shift the conversation in his community. He’s passionate about helping residents and local leaders understand the Growth Ponzi Scheme, the illusion of wealth in suburban expansion, and what truly makes a city financially resilient.

In this episode, one local leader took action—armed with spreadsheets, Strong Towns principles, and expert guidance—to challenge the status quo and advocate for a stronger La Plata.

YouTube Interview Link

📌 Links referenced in this episode:

🎙️ David’s full podcast episode on La Plata’s finances: Watch here

📊 The Local-Motive session that inspired him: Parsing Through Your Local Budget

💰 The Strong Towns campaign for transparent local accounting: Learn more

🏘️ Get involved in the Strong Towns Local Conversations program: Sign up here

📖 Michel Durand-Wood’s new book on municipal finances: You’ll Pay for This