The budgetary planning process is one that is an important duty of the city manager. You must be able to analyze the expenses and the income from the previous year to determine if there was any duplication of services that can enable you to cut costs. Relying of the advice of the various department heads, you should identify the needs for capital works projects in the city for new infrastructure or to make repairs to the existing infrastructure. You will also have to analyze the growth patterns of the city in order to forecast any future needs that you will have to look at. Many of the residents may have made demands on the city for certain types of services and you will have to investigate these to see if these demands are legitimate and how to best go about solving the problems.
The city manager is responsible for developing an Administrative code or if one already exists, as part of your job you will have to review this code to see whether any changes need to be made. On all matters of policy determination, you will have to report to the city council and the mayor. You will be in close association with legislators at the state and federal government levels as well as with the city officials from the surrounding areas and in other states. In all matters of the city operations, you must ensure that you adhere to state and federal laws.
You do need to have a university degree in Public Administration or a related field in order to qualify for the position of city manager. Most people in this position hold a Master’s degree or higher. You should also have some background in accounting and finance. Experience in city governments is essential for you to have the practical knowledge and skills necessary for the job. Most people advance to this position by working their way up through the ranks of administrative positions in the city starting with entry level positions and demonstrating a commitment to the city through their exceptional performance on the job.
The salary you receive as city manager depends on the size of the city and its operating budget. In smaller cities and towns, you might only serve in this capacity on a part time basis and work in your regular position in the city government for the rest of the time. You do need to have strong interpersonal skills in this job to enable you to develop good working relationships. In order to get all the work done, you should also be a person who can delegate tasks to others instead of trying to complete everything yourself.
