What Is a City Manager?
A city manager or a town manager is a leader or chief executive of a municipal government in a council-manager form of city government. How are city managers chosen? These professionals are chosen by the city council, unlike the mayor or the city council itself, who are elected to office by the public. A city manager, as the name implies, must manage the city, which includes all the city departments and other municipal facilities. Typical departments that you will find in a city include the fire department, parks, and recreation department, police department, planning and zoning department, and water department.
What Does a City Manager Do?
So, what is the city manager's job? City manager responsibilities vary depending on the city or town and involve a lot of interaction with people, from those inside government to the public at large. City managers supervise city and town employees and participate in city council meetings in which the city manager gives advice on various issues being considered by the city council and the mayor. However, the city manager has no power in the decision-making process. It is the city council that has the final say regarding laws and ordinances, and it is the city manager or town manager's responsibility to ensure that these laws and ordinances are carried out.
The role of a city manager is not restricted to business hours; a city manager must be available 24/7 no matter the time or hour. City managers always need to be ready to serve the city council and the constituents. Additional city manager job duties include:
- Communicating and overseeing the heads of city departments that report to the city manager
- Managing the city's budget
- Representing the city government during social functions as well as more formal meetings with municipalities and government officials
- Mediating between political groups when there is disagreement
- Acting as a spokesperson to the media regarding council activities
- Ensuring the smooth running of public services such as water, sewage, and other utilities
- Acting as a conduit by which the public can communicate their concerns and needs
- Supervising municipal projects and delegating responsibilities to the city operational managers of departments and city employees that are best suited for specific projects and jobs
A city manager sometimes must manage the expectations of what the city council wants to do against what is feasible and within the city's budget. It can sometimes turn into a balancing act because a city manager's job is dependent on how the city council evaluates its performance.
City Manager: Education and Requirements
A city manager is expected to have earned an undergraduate or graduate degree. These degrees can vary, especially since city managers are often recruited from other city departments. Degrees that complement this career include business, criminal justice, public administration, finance, and accounting.
In addition to education, a prospective city manager may also need to obtain a Certified Public Manager (CPM) credential that involves training in areas that are specific to the job. This includes such topics as how to manage people and lead an organization, managing and organizing work, and systemic integration (awareness of how internal and external factors affect an organization). Special emphasis is placed on public service. Future city managers are also trained in how to adapt organizations to change and are required to commit to self-improvement and continuing education while they are in office.
It is important to note that experience counts. Typically, the city manager should have up to eight years of experience working in city departments in which the candidate has displayed upward mobility with an increase in responsibilities. This may also include experience as a head of a city department.
City Manager: Skills and Competencies
As you might imagine, working so closely with people requires a city manager to have an agile mind and good communication skills. City managers need characteristics such as:
- Diplomacy and tactfulness
- Strong written and verbal skills that are clear and understandable
- Excellent organizational skills in order to manage projects and delegate personnel
- Strong critical thinking skills
- Public speaking skills
- Knowledge of city laws and ordinances
- Understanding of governmental processes
- An ability to negotiate with employees, different jurisdictions, and those people, such as vendors, who provide services to the city
- Solid understanding of the key roles that others play in city government
- The ability to research and find needed resources as well as to adapt to changing situations
City Manager Salary Information
A city manager's salary is dependent on a number of factors, including the size and budget of a municipality and where it is located. A city manager for a city like Las Cruces, New Mexico is not going to earn the same salary as a city manager in Los Angeles, California. On average, you can expect a salary of around $93,769, as per PayScale.com in 2020. The bottom 10% earn approximately $50,000 and the upper 10% can earn a salary as high as $173,000.
The job outlook for all top executives, including city managers, is favorable for the next decade. Jobs for these professionals are expected to increase by 4% between 2019-2029.
