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City manager
 
 
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A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative
Administration (government)

The term administration, as used in the Context of government, differs according to jurisdiction....
 manager
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
 of a city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
, in a council-manager
Council-manager government

The council-manager government is one of two main variations of Representative democracy Local government in the United States, and was first used in Sumter, South Carolina....
 form of city government. Called the chief administrative officer
Chief administrative officer

A chief administrative officer is responsible for administrative management of private, public or governmental corporations. The CAO is one of the highest ranking members of an organization, managing daily operations and usually reporting directly to the chief executive officer....
 in some municipalities.
inating in Staunton, Virginia in 1908 during the Progressive Era
Progressive Era

The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of reform which lasted from the 1890s to the 1920's.Responding to the changes brought about by industrialization,...
, the city manager form of government was created to remove city government from the power of the political parties, and place management of the city into the hands of an outside expert who was usually a business manager or engineer, with the hope that the city manager would remain neutral to city politics.






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Encyclopedia


A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative
Administration (government)

The term administration, as used in the Context of government, differs according to jurisdiction....
 manager
Management

Management in business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leadership or directing, and Control an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal....
 of a city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
, in a council-manager
Council-manager government

The council-manager government is one of two main variations of Representative democracy Local government in the United States, and was first used in Sumter, South Carolina....
 form of city government. Called the chief administrative officer
Chief administrative officer

A chief administrative officer is responsible for administrative management of private, public or governmental corporations. The CAO is one of the highest ranking members of an organization, managing daily operations and usually reporting directly to the chief executive officer....
 in some municipalities.

History

Originating in Staunton, Virginia in 1908 during the Progressive Era
Progressive Era

The Progressive Era in the United States was a period of reform which lasted from the 1890s to the 1920's.Responding to the changes brought about by industrialization,...
, the city manager form of government was created to remove city government from the power of the political parties, and place management of the city into the hands of an outside expert who was usually a business manager or engineer, with the hope that the city manager would remain neutral to city politics.

By the end of the era, around forty-five cities in the United States used a city manager form of government.

For many years, every city in Virginia had a council-manager form of government. Currently, 38 of the state's 39 cities use this form, with the one exception being capital city Richmond
Richmond, Virginia

Richmond is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities, it is an independent city and not part of any county....
.

Responsibilities


Typical roles and responsibilities of a city manager include:

  • Supervising day-to-day operations of all city departments;
  • Supervising the department heads;
  • Preparing a draft city budget each year with options the council votes on;
  • Researching and making recommendations about topics of interest to the council;
  • Meeting with citizens and citizen groups to understand their needs better;
  • Providing executive leadership that encourages good performance by city workers;
  • Operating the city with a professional understanding of how all city functions operate together to their best effect.


Typically, city managers have hire-fire authority over all city employees, though these decisions may be required to be approved by the council, and must comply with locally applicable civil service laws. This authority includes talent searches for "department heads" who are the managers of the city departments.

See Also

  • Local government
    Local government

    Local governments are administrative offices that are smaller than a state. The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government....

External links

  • , ICMA is the professional and educational organization for chief appointed managers, administrators, and assistants in cities, towns, counties, and regional entities throughout the world. Since 1914, ICMA has provided technical and management assistance, training, and information resources to its members and the local government community. The management decisions made by ICMA's nearly 9,000 members affect more than 100 million individuals in thousands of communities--from small towns with populations of a few hundred to metropolitan areas serving several million.


  • , a history on the city manager system of government.