.png)
THE BISON PRINCIPLE
CLARITY, DISCIPLINE, AND COURAGE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE LENS OF PARKS AND RECREATION
by Jamie Sabbach
Preorder Your Copy Today
WHY THIS BOOK, WHY NOW
Local government stands at a defining moment.
Expectations are rising. Revenues fluctuate. Deferred maintenance compounds quietly. Political pressure intensifies.
Good intentions are not enough.
The Bison Principle challenges leaders to confront hard truths with clarity, discipline, and courage — before systems weaken beyond repair.
"There is so much wisdom in this book. Jamie Sabbach is both relentlessly optimistic AND brutally realistic. She rises above today’s binary thinking, drawing on her vast experience in public policy-making to offer insights, analysis, and arguments for effective democratic governance that resonate, regardless of your ideology or partisan affiliation. Whether you are an advocate, a public manager, a politician, or a citizen, Sabbach compels us to recognize a shared interest in the quality of life in our communities, fiscal responsibility, and collectively facing the toughest issues and complex trade-offs with courage and a long view. She has charted the course. After reading The Bison Principle, you will want to do more than you have to help build a better community for yourself and those who will follow.
~ Marty Linsky
Co-author of the best-selling Leadership on the Line
Retired from the Harvard Kennedy School after 40 years of teaching about politics and leadership
INSIDE THE BOOK
Drawing on more than 20 years of field leadership and nearly two decades advising cities, counties, and special districts nationwide, Jamie Sabbach exposes the habits and assumptions that quietly erode public systems over time. Blending narrative, research, and strategic discipline, she offers a practical four-part framework for making hard decisions that protect community quality of life — not just today, but for generations to come.
FOUNDATIONS - THE GROUNDING
Examining the civic purpose of quality-of-life services and the realities shaping public systems.
FORMATION - FACING THE WIND
Applying financial discipline, cost transparency, and structural clarity.
RECKONING - THROUGH THE STORM
Confronting deferred maintenance, subsidy decisions, and political discomfort.
RENEWAL - THE PATH FORWARD
Designing future-ready organizations grounded in courage and accountability.
HOW IT HELPS
The Bison Principle Will Help You Gain
-
Build shared clarity around purpose and priorities
-
Apply the math that reveals what is sustainable — and what is not
-
Make transparent trade-offs instead of avoiding them
-
Strengthen public trust through consistency and discipline
-
Confront political pressure without losing professional integrity
-
Protect assets before crisis forces reaction
WHY THE BISON
When storms approach, most animals run away.
Bison run into the storm.
By moving toward difficulty, they shorten its duration.
Public leadership requires the same instinct.
Avoidance compounds cost.
Drift erodes trust.
Delay multiplies consequences.
Running toward the storm is not aggression.
It is stewardship.
WHO THIS IS FOR
For Leaders Responsible for Public Systems
-
Parks and recreation professionals
-
City, county, and special district administrators
-
Finance directors and budget officers
-
Elected and appointed officials
-
Public works, planning, and library leaders
-
Consultants and civic advisors
-
Graduate students in public administration and finance
ABOUT
Jamie Sabbach is the founder and president of 110% Inc., a consulting and education firm specializing in fiscal stewardship and responsible decision-making in local government. A sought-after speaker, facilitator, and educator, she has presented nationally and internationally and has testified before the U.S. Congress on the importance of parks, recreation, and other quality-of-life services.
Jamie works with elected officials, executive teams, and practitioners across the country to help them navigate complexity, confront hard trade-offs, and align public investment with public purpose. Her work sits at the intersection of math, meaning, and leadership—emphasizing clarity over comfort, long-term responsibility over short-term wins, and courage over convenience. Known for blending practical financial frameworks with values-based leadership and plain-spoken storytelling, she helps organizations move from aspiration to accountability while protecting the services and places that shape community quality of life.
Jamie lives in the mountains of Colorado with her wife, Lisa, and their two dogs, Wrigley and Ernie. When she’s not working with professionals and communities across the country, you’ll likely find her on a trail with dirt on her boots, in the woodshop with sawdust on her hands, or anywhere outdoors in the kind of landscapes that remind her why the work 110% does matters.
TESTIMONIALS
CHARLES MAROHN
Founder & President, Strong Towns
Jamie applies a clear-eyed fiscal lens, reminding us that maintenance before expansion, honest lifecycle math, and disciplined leadership are the foundations of long-term resilience. This book challenges public servants to build systems their communities can afford to sustain.
JULIE KNAPP, Ph.D.
Director, Indiana University Executive Development Program
The Bison Principle explores the uncomfortable realities facing municipal systems throughout the United States, while exposing the widening gap between community expectations and fiscal constraints. Its message is important as we prepare the next generation of local government leadership to serve with courage, intention, and eyes on the future.
ANDREW J. MOWEN, Ph.D.
Professor, The Pennsylvania State University
The Bison Principle provides an engaging analysis of both the causes and consequences of short-sighted fiscal decisions. It compels us to shift the narrative, confront financial realities, and pursue strategies to promote sustainable budgetary decisions for future generations.
The Bison Principle is a bold call to protect community quality of life through disciplined leadership and fiscal truth.