Pros
Opportunity to assist communities at a local level, leveraging programs that truly offer benefits to many that need a helping hand.
Cons
Ugh - it's government...and politics is the name of the game regardless of where you work here. Due to the foibles of government employment structures, it is absolutely true that those who make it past their 1st year of employment are impossible to fire - no one even tries unless it's egregious. What this means is that many qualified, hard-working employees are conveniently "let go" before they complete their probationary period of 1 year. Yes, it's old school and against the law for any other employers in California but local governments are exempted :-). Be aware that benefits are exceedingly costly if you are paying for a family. My family plan for all benefits with a very moderate HMO plan was over $1200/month. Some are pre-tax but it's still a big chunk out of your pocket. My biggest shock - being a first time government employee was the horrendous 8am-5pm mentality. I could not get over the arrival and departure of people as if they were automatons.