What Is a City Manager?
A city manager is a professional administrator whose goal is to have city government’s function with the effectiveness of fruitful businesses. Though, city managers have no approval to make moves by themselves. It is elected officials such as a mayor that chooses to bring them aboard and instruct them of their working duties.
For instance, a city council might order its city manager to lower the costs of tax collection. However, prior to any plan going into motion, a city manager must present their ideas to the person that hired them for the okay. Only after receiving permission can a city manager get to work and hire the help he or she may need to get the job done.
City managers formulate budgets, bring in administrative officers, and supervise the keeping of records. They work closely with the leaders of multiple departments – law enforcement and sanitation. City managers are acquainted with all of the pieces of government – however they are not able to choose a side in the case of political disputes.
How to Become a City Manager
In order to become a city manager you will need to have earned at least a bachelor’s degree. You will be expected to have studied economics, sociology, urban planning, finance, and management. The reason for this required education is because it can cover all the areas of work you will be expected to participate in. The preference of most city councils and mayors is to bring in a city manager that has a master’s degree in public administration on their resume.
For those that as of late have come out of college who are looking for a career as a city manager usually begin their quest as an assistant city manager. This gives you the chance to achieve more experience and slowly take on more responsibilities. Another route is by obtaining an internship, as they can tend to lead to a full-time job. A large amount of city managers are brought in by governments of small cities. Larger cities normally bring in more than one manager to deal with each department.
City Manager Career Outlook & Salary
The working hours of a city manager tend to be long as you always to need be ready in the case of an unexpected crisis occurs. When a problem does come up, it is up to the city manager to work on fixing the problem until it is resolved. If this means going beyond the basic 40 hour work week, then so be it. City managers find that they are predominately in offices for most of the day as they need to constantly remain in touch with the general public and other people in government. However when it comes to meetings and seminars, city managers normally travel to the gathering.
The salary of a city manager heavily depends upon the city you are working in, where that city is as far as the part of the country. Another factor in deciding your income can be the amount of responsibility you have. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2004, the average salary for city managers was $88,695 per year – with benefits being insurance, vacation time, and pension plans.
