A DPW’s Perspective: Loyalty to the Public?

Hello Engineers,

I’m the Public Works Director for a mid-sized city, overseeing streets, pipes, stormwater systems, wastewater treatment, bridges, and every piece of infrastructure our residents rely on. I want to be direct about something Dave previously touched on here, and that comes up too often in development reviews.

When an engineer representing a private developer sits across from me, I’m not looking for someone who can cleverly thread the needle between their client’s profit goals and my public’s needs. I’m looking for an engineer who puts the public interest first every time. Full stop.

As an engineer, your primary duty in these situations isn’t to your paying client. It’s to the citizens who will inherit what you design. When you push for thinner pavement sections to shave costs, undersized detention basins that barely meet today’s code (ignoring tomorrow's heavier rains), cheaper pipe materials with shorter lifespans, or layouts that force our maintenance crews into constant, expensive fixes, you’re not just “advocating for the developer.” You’re actively transferring private developer savings into public burdens. We end up paying more over 30-50 years in repairs, replacements, and emergency responses, all because someone chose short-term economics over durable, responsible engineering.

I resent engineers who demonstrate, even once, that their loyalty lies with maximizing developer profit rather than upholding their professional obligation to protect the public welfare. (Yes, the NSPE Code of Ethics does indeed say engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.)

When that same engineer later submits a proposal on a city project, I immediately question their judgment. Actually, it's worse than that. If you’ve shown you’ll prioritize somebody's private gain over public good, why should I trust you now when taxpayer dollars are directly on the line?

Frankly, as a Public Works Director, I have contempt for anyone willing to exploit the public in pursuit of private profit, especially those who treat public infrastructure as a bargaining chip rather than a solemn trust. It's understandable when it's the developer talking, because that's their business. But when engineers do it, they betray a much higher duty to uphold public trust.

Our city prefers to work with engineers and firms that work exclusively for public agencies. No conflicts of interest. No split loyalties. Significant public projects should be entrusted only to those who have demonstrated their true character and integrity through consistent action, i.e., firms whose engineers know and live their oath every day, always placing the public’s long-term welfare above somebody's short-term bottom line.

Public infrastructure is a public trust, not a profit center. When you consistently put the public first, you earn respect, smoother processes, and a reputation that opens doors beyond any single development deal.

Here's the punchline: The engineering profession is stronger when engineers remember who they ultimately work for.

Thanks for the opportunity to address you,

John Galt

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