What Does a City Manager Do? And What About the Mayor?

The proposed professional city manager for Saratoga Springs will be hired and directed by the Mayor and City Council to oversee the daily operations of the city in an ethical, efficient and transparent manner.

Much like executives who direct private-sector corporations, our City Manager will provide leadership, vision and a focus on results that are needed to create a stronger, more stable and sustainable city by:

- - Managing financial and human resources
  - Overseeing the delivery of essential services
  - Planning strategically for community development
  - Using performance metrics to drive continuous improvement
  - Committing to the highest level of ethical standards

The City Manager will be responsible for:

- - Working with our elected officials (Mayor and City Council) to develop sound approaches to community challenges by bringing together resources that produce results that matter.
  - Helping the governing body develop a long-term vision for the city that provides a framework for policy development and goal-setting.
  - Preparing a comprehensive annual budget and capital improvement program and managing staff, budgets, programs and projects.
  - Overseeing the delivery of city services, such as
    - - public works
      - police, fire and public safety
      - planning and economic development
      - parks and recreation
      - green initiatives and renewable energy options.
  - Developing performance measurement systems for Saratoga Springs’ city government services.
  - Applying for and administering federal, state and private foundation grant funding.
  - Recruiting, hiring and supervising the city’s workforce, including department heads.
  - Preparing Council meeting agenda materials in conjunction with the Mayor and Council leadership.
  - Developing and sustaining organizational excellence and promoting innovation.
  - Making sure that everyone–citizens and business owners (present and prospective)–are treated with fairly and receive equal treatment when applying for permits or dealing with any city department
  - Ensuring that City government is ethical, accountable and transparent.

The City Manager, as a professional with an education background in local government, will establish a commitment to excellence within Saratoga Springs’ administration and departments that sets the tone for all employees. The City Manager will expect staff at all levels–from department heads to line employees–to meet high standards in service delivery, accountability and ethics. Together, they will look for more effective and efficient ways to serve the residents of Saratoga Springs.

What will the Mayor do?

The Mayor will be strengthened in her or his role as the city’s chief political leader and policy maker with a commensurate salary. The Mayor will continue to sit on the City Council which will bring the total votes in that body to seven. The mayor will

- Preside at council meetings
- Serve as Saratoga Springs’ spokesperson and representative in intergovernmental relations
- Lead the Council’s communication with and oversight of the City Manager and administrative functions of city government
- Assist the City Council in setting goals and advocating policy decisions
- Appoint members of the land-use and other boards with the advice and consent of the City Council

Together, the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager constitute a policy-development and management team.

What Does a City Manager Do? And What About the Mayor?

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