03 - Organizational Structure Study - Gary Weiers - David Drown Associates

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Information from the International City County Management Assoication PROFESSIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT: THE BENEFITS TO YOUR MUNICIPALITY Political Leadership and Professional Management in Today's Cities and Towns Hiring a professional administrator, appointed by the city or town council or board, is a logical and necessary evolution in municipal government. Historically, many cities and towns were governed by commissions, councils, or boards whose members had both legislative and executive responsibilities. This system functioned effectively when municipal government was limited in scope and complexity. With the expansion of the responsibilities of cities and towns however, the policy-making demands of governing bodies greatly increased, as did the need for technical competence in the administration of services. Today's elected board members can better fulfill their legislative or policy- making roles and maintain their overall control of service delivery by delegating the day- to-day management of the municipality to an appointed professional administrator. Making the Change to Professional Management Hiring a professional manager or administrator frees elected officials from the administration of daily operations and gives them time to focus on policy-making duties. It empowers elected officials to provide leadership, develop a vision for the community, determine what services to provide citizens, lobby the state legislature on the community's behalf, and communicate and forge new relationships with constituents. An educated, highly trained professional oversees the day-to-day operations. Before a professional manager or administrator can be hired, a municipality's structure of government must be modified to provide for the position. The process of creating a position of city or town manager or administrator can vary from state to state. Some municipalities have the authority to act on their own initiative to adopt local ordinances, laws, or resolutions to create the position of city manager or administrator appointed by the elected governing body. In states where municipalities may write their own charter under home-rule provisions, a number of municipalities have taken advantage of that opportunity to create a professional administrator position. Some states have enacted statutes providing for alternative forms or optional charters for local governments to adopt. Lastly, structural change can also be accomplished in some states by obtaining charters through special legislation adopted by the state legislative body. How Your Municipality Would Benefit from Hiring a Professional Administrator • The appointed manager or administrator is charged with carrying out the policies established by the elected officials and with delivering public services efficiently,