A city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a city government, including budgeting and staffing responsibilities. They are responsible for managing the budget, addressing problems, and acting as a liaison between the government and citizens. The position is not elected and decisions must be made impartially.
A city manager is an executive who oversees the day-to-day operations of a city government. He or she is likely to work closely with the city mayor and city council. This is generally not an elected position; instead, a qualified person is hired to perform the job duties and will comply with any laws or regulations outlined by the mayor and city council. Budgeting and staffing responsibilities generally rest with the city manager, as he or she is primarily responsible for preparing the city budget for approval by the mayor or city council.
Firing and hiring in various city government departments can also be the responsibility of the city manager. Several other mid-level managers can resolve these issues before they reach the city manager, but most personnel decisions must be approved by the highest manager before they become final. All decisions made by this manager are usually made with the interest or policies of the mayor or city council; political concerns are not part of the city manager’s job; therefore, decisions must be made impartially and without partisan concerns.
The city budget is prepared by the manager and he or she is responsible for managing this budget once it has been approved. This means ensuring that all funds are spent properly and that all government programs operate within established budgets. If a program or sector is going over budget, the manager must address the problem and correct it to ensure that money is not spent where it should not be spent.
Although the city manager is not a policy-making position, he or she may have an opinion on the policies being considered for implementation. As the direct overseer of the team responsible for enforcing laws and policies, the manager can make recommendations to the mayor or council to help him govern more effectively. The manager’s job will revolve around decisions made by the mayor or council; however, regardless of the manager’s input into any policy-making decision.
Interactions with the city’s general public are also a primary responsibility of the city manager. He or she must investigate citizen complaints, consult with citizens to find out what problems may exist in the city and how to effectively resolve them, and act as a liaison between the city government and its people. He or she may also have a responsibility to ensure that the public is informed of government actions as they also relate to the daily operations of the city.
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