The Mayor and City Commission are the only policy making body of the city. To help in this process, they receive recommendations from the various boards and commissions as well as the City Manager. The City Manager is designated to direct the day to day operations of the City which carry out the policies of the City Commission. The City Manager is helped in this task by his staff and the heads of the departments.
There are nine departments in the City of Great Falls besides the City Manager's office. These are: City Attorney, City Planning, Community Development, Fiscal Services, Fire/Rescue, Park & Recreation, Police, and Public Works. Each department is headed by a director whose job is to organize and direct the operations of the various divisions under his/her control. Municipal Court is under the direction of the City Judge who is independently elected and does not report to either the City Manager or the City Commission. However, the receipts portion of Municipal Court falls under the direction of Fiscal Control. The City Clerk reports directly to the City Manager.
The Mayor and City Commission develops policy and the City Manager develops the best method of carrying out the policy with the department heads. The department head, with his/her staff, carries out the task by determining how to allocate funds, manpower and materials within the budget approved by the City Commission.
Conscientious commissioners, as representatives of the community, can render better service if they know their duties, are aware of their responsibilities, and are ever mindful of the best methods of carrying out their trust. Unlike some other systems of local government where the commission exercises less than half of the municipal powers, the mayor and commission under this plan completely dominate the governmental establishment, select and control the chief manager and enjoy all the importance and responsibility of a board of directors. The mayor and commission are responsible for making certain that a capable manager administers the affairs of the city. The manager makes recommendations to the commission on municipal policies.
The people elect the city commission. The city commission determines the policies of the city government and appoints, directs and, if necessary, removes the city manager. In determining policy, commissioners do their best to represent their constituents. All phases of the job involve, in one way or another, the determination of policy.
The city manager can help the commission a great deal in studying and determining municipal policies. For example, one of the most important problems facing a city government each year is the budget. The city manager gathers the information and prepares the budget, which the commission studies, revises as necessary, and then adopts. The city manager puts the budget into effect and carries it out.
What is meant by the determination of policy? Basically, it is the process of deciding what is to be done. The commission should not confuse this with how a program is to be administered, which is the job of the city manager. In its simplest terms, "what to do" is policy making, "how to do it" is administration.
In determining policy, the commission must come to a decision, authorize its implementation and bear full responsibility for the results. Thus, the commission must hold the manager responsible for administering policy decisions properly.
In any legislative body, the determination of policy takes the form of passing a law. City commission laws are ordinances or resolutions. An ordinance has the force of law and usually includes what remedies will be made if the law is not followed. A resolution reflects the intent of the commission.
How does the commission arrive at these policy decisions? Briefly, there are four steps in the process:
The second major part of the commission's job is general responsibility for requiring effective administrative action through the city manager. The manager receives all questions or criticisms which the commission may have concerning the execution of ordinances or performance of duty.
If something goes wrong, the manager stands responsible to the commission. For example, if the commission (or a single member) has a complaint or question about the administration of a loading ordinance by the police department, it should not contact the police officer concerned, or even the chief of police, but should present the complaint to the city manager. Then if the situation is not remedied, the manager must answer for it.
The commission must, therefore, develop a working relationship with the manager. First, the commission is responsible for selecting a capable city manager; second, for seeing that the manager has a chance to administer policy properly; and third, for evaluating administrative accomplishments.
How does the commission go about selecting a city manager? It is a difficult task since the position of city manager is one with which the average commissioner will have had no previous experience.
Before an intelligent selection can be made, commissioners must know something about the job they are trying to fill. What is a city manager supposed to do? How will time be spent? The person is an administrator; more than that a public administrator, working for a governmental unit or, to go beyond the word governmental, for the people of the community.
The city manager is the chief administrative officer, whose task is to make certain that the work of government is carried out at a high level of competence, that the democratic controls over policy imposed by the city commission are transmitted to the administrative employees, and that the city receives adequate advice on the technical implications of its decisions.
Administrative officials of a city do not pave its streets, put out its fires or prevent crime -- laborers, firefighters and police officers are hired to do that. Nevertheless, the reason that there is a chief administrative officer is to make sure that the persons responsible for performing these very tangible and definite services do their work well and in such a way that their respective efforts are coordinated to achieve the best overall results.
It is not easy to specify qualifications for a competent city manager. To some, these will vary with the size and nature of the city, including its type of and plans for development. The commission should, in the beginning, make at least a tentative decision regarding qualification of training, experience and personality. Moreover, it is advisable that the commission reach an early agreement on the procedure to be used in making the selection.
The International City Management Association (ICMA) can provide a current directory of all city managers and administrators. In addition, on request from responsible representatives of the city government, the association will furnish brief statements of the experience and training of specific applicants. The association also lists cities and manager and administrator vacancies in its bi-weekly ICMA Newsletter, with details of salary and qualifications. Most state leagues of municipalities are also able to provide helpful information to communities wishing to hire managers or administrators.
Many city commissions rely on three standard procedures for rating candidates: an application form, personal investigation and an oral interview. From the application, information is gained regarding age, education and experience. The personal investigation makes possible a check on the candidate's integrity and an appraisal of previous work. This may require only a check with references by letter or phone, or it may lead to a visit to the city where the applicant has served or is serving. The commission should be very thorough on this point. In the oral interview, opportunity is given for an appraisal of such traits as force, tact, personal appearance and sense of humor.
Here also, since it is probably the one time before the actual appointment that the manager and commission will see each other, they should reach agreement or understanding on a variety of topics of mutual interest -- major local problems, the division of responsibility between the commission and manager, attitude towards assistants for the manager, political conditions and other matters either stated or implied.
Commissions generally select individuals who have served as managers or administrators in other cities or as administrative assistants. During recent years, more than half of all newly appointed city managers and administrators have had such backgrounds. The next largest group of appointments has come from other public administrative positions such as finance officers, city clerks and other city department heads. Generally, less than 10 percent of the city managers or administrators appointed in any year come from non-governmental positions. Several universities now offer graduate programs in public administration and many cities have tended to require such an educational background.
As commissions are primarily interested in applicants' training in municipal administration, appointments generally are made without regard to place of residence. About three-fourths of all managers or administrators appointed in recent years have been from other cities.
When the selection is finally made, it should, if at all possible, be unanimous. If this is not the case and the commission offers the job on a split vote, the person should be informed, as this may be a factor in the decision whether or not to accept. Some will not take a job offered on a split vote; others are intrigued by the challenge it implies. In any case, honest difference openly aired leads to mutual confidence and respect.
Both the commission and the manager should clearly understand that the appointment is for an indefinite term and that the manager will serve at the pleasure of the commission.
See Also:
Commission Mission Statement, Goals and Objectives
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