pages: CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf, 21
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CityCouncil | 2019-12-18 | 21 | City Council Workshop Workshop Report Management Partners A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City Manager Relationship Kevin C. Duggan ICMA West Coast Regional Director International City/County Management Association Introduction Mayors and councilmembers need to have effective working relationships with a number of key audiences in order to successfully undertake their responsibilities. These audiences include citizens/voters, community groups, the press, other governmental agencies, other elected officials, nonprofit organizations and many more. However, critical to a successful and satisfying career on the city council in a city council/city manager form of government is a successful and effective working relationship with the city manager. This article suggests the necessary ingredients for a mutually successful council/manager working relationship. The City Council/City Manager Form of Local Government: The "Council/Manager Form of Government" is designed for the elected city council to set policy direction as the direct representatives of the community with the city manager providing the professional expertise to manage the organization and carry out the council's direction. Policy direction is provided in a variety of ways, including through local laws/ordinances, planning policies (general plan and zoning), financial policies, the annual budget and capital improvement plan, the adoption of city council policies and through numerous other program directives. The city manager is responsible for carrying out the council's policy direction through the day-to-day management of city functions, including the oversight of city operating departments. Key tasks associated with this role include the hiring and supervision of department heads, the recommendation and implementation of the annual budget and the assurance of quality service delivery. This form of government is predicated on the philosophy that elected representatives are better able to make community value judgments on behalf of residents and translate these values into policy direction-th "what" in city government. It is also based on the belief that professional staff are best able to determine the "how" of implementing policies and delivering day-to-day services due to their experience and training. Since both roles are closely related, it is the city manager's responsibility to coordinate between both realms to assure the effective delivery of services consistent with city council direction. This is often referred to as the policy/administration dichotomy (the separation of these responsibilities)- - which, oftentimes, has a good deal of "gray" on the boundaries. When it works most effectively, the elected officials focus on big picture of policy -1- - 15 | CityCouncil/2019-12-18.pdf |