Pros
I ended up working in one of the best departments in the City - high standards, integrity, professionalism, great leadership. There was a fair amount of opportunities for advancement both in the department and within the City; however, the HR department is inconsistent in determining eligibility to compete for positions (minimum qualification reviews) which erodes employee trust in the system. I was routinely challenged and learned new things on a daily basis.
Cons
As with all municipalities, the recession required the City to make significant budget cuts. These cuts are largely un-sustainable since little was done to rightsize service delivery to the resources available. For the most part, the City provides the same services, but they do it by deferring critical infrastructure improvements, eliminating nearly all funding to enhance technology, eliminating employee raises, requiring existing employees to put in a lot more hours, and on and on. I think government employees are unfairly portrayed as lazy and ungrateful...there are certainly some bad apples in the barrel (as with any corporation), but the majority of the people I worked with were committed, hardworking, and passionate. Sadly, the City is losing many of these people due to complete burnout and frustration. I am not one to shy away from hard work, but at the point that the hours and stress started taking a toll on my family and my own health I knew I had to look else where.