Responsibilities

The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and is responsible for administrative and operations activities of the City and for preparing the City's budget. City employees report to the City Manager in this Council-Manager form of government.

About the Council-Manager Form of Government

The council-manager form is the system of local government that combines the strong political leadership of elected officials in the form of a council or other governing body, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The form establishes a representative system where all power is concentrated in the elected council and where the council hires a professionally trained manager to oversee the delivery of public services.

Is it a responsive form of government?
In council-manager government, council members are the leaders and policy makers elected to represent various segments of the community and to concentrate on high-level policy issues. The manager is appointed by the Mayor and Council to carry out policy and day-to-day operations.

What is the Mayor and Council's function?
The Mayor and Council is the legislative body; its members are the community's decision makers. Power is centralized in the elected Mayor and Council, which approves the budget and determines the tax rate, for example. The Mayor and Council also focuses on high-level tasks like long-term considerations as community growth, land use development, capital improvement plans, capital financing, and strategic planning. The Mayor and Council hire a professional manager to carry out the administrative responsibilities and supervise the manager's performance.

What is the City Manager's function?
The City Manager is hired to serve the Mayor and Council and the community and to bring to the local government the benefits of training and experience in administering local government projects and programs on behalf of the governing body. The manager prepares a budget for the Mayor and Council's consideration; recruits, hires, and supervises the government's staff; serves as the Mayor and Council's chief adviser; and carries out the Mayor and Council's policies. The Mayor and Council and citizens count on the manager to provide complete and objective information, pros and cons of alternatives, and long-term consequences.