Leadership is required with a city manager. All departments need to be able to work together successfully. The city manager will be required to administer the budget for the entire city and work a capital program. A strategic plan must be implemented and goals and objectives must be set and achieved. The city manager will be required to attend City Council meetings and talk to the council about achievements, milestones of projects, and talk about budget issues. This person will need to address issues brought to the city council by local citizens of the town who might have complaints they want addressed and more.
There are many features of city manager jobs that you might think about. This position is an at-will position that is voted in by the City Council. All work performed in this position is guided by the City Council and the manager must seek approval for projects before they can be started. All issues and projects that require spending must be brought forth to the city council for approval.
The qualifications of government jobs like city manager jobs include a combination of many things. You must have sufficient training, education and a lot of experience. A Bachelor’s Degree is required from an accredited institution focusing on Public or Business Administration. Most people cannot walk into a city manager position out of college but must have up to 10 years of experience as an assistant city manager first. In most cases, the assistant may step up into the city manager position when the city manager retires.
A city manager must be able to communicate very effectively. There is a lot of time spent in the pubic, in front of the media, at public events, and at meetings that are open to the public. This person must be able to communicate verbally and in writing with all of these people. He or she also must remain informed about all issues being discussed through committees and professional groups throughout the city.
In addition to the educational requirements of city manager jobs, this person also must have a lot of knowledge and possess certain abilities. Complex policy issues must be addressed and sometimes changed. These issues will always be brought forth to the city council for discussion. This person is responsible to take part in intergovernmental relations, tribal, state, federal, and local jurisdictional partnerships. The ability requirements include being able to shape and implement the direction of policies, listen, synthesize, and facilitate with many different points of view.
A city manager must work closely with all of the departments within the city. The police chief will take direct orders from the city manager as the will the fire chief, too. The planning and zoning committee will not approve new building sites or streets to be constructed without the approval of the city manager and the city council. All departments are facilitated by the city manager so the city is a nice place to live for the inhabitants of the city.
When there are complaints to someone like a city manager working in government jobs from the public it is important to address these issues immediately. The city council will not want to hear public complaints that are not being addressed appropriately.
The pay of city manager jobs varies depending on the city. If the city is a small town then the manager may make around $75k a year. The larger the city is and the more there is to manage, the higher the salary will be. A large city like New York may pay the city manager $200k a year or more.
The outlook for city managers is good because growth is continuing. However, this position is not an easy one to get into and you should start working in government jobs right out of college if you are interested in pursuing a city manager position. It is important to gain the experience you need so when the opportunity arises you will be ready for the task. The best place to start is by applying for a city manager position of a small town that is just being established or just a small community. This will allow you to get sufficient experience so if you want to move to a larger city and gain a higher pay you will be able to.
Employment in government jobs like a city manager is a lot of responsibility. An entire city relies on you to ensure they’re safety. This is because this position requires you to be responsible for the fire department, police department, possibly the senior citizen’s center, planning and zoning, and more.
