Elected Official City Manager Collaboration David Zook, MPA, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Elected Official City Manager Collaboration

Shaun Dustin, PhD, PE Mayor Nibley, Utah David Zook, MPA, ICMA-CM City Manager Nibley, Utah

Congratulations

• n a Getting

Elected!

Welcome to Public Service

Why did you run for office? What do you hope to accomplish?

What City Councils Do

Serve your community Add services or amenities

Serve

Make government better

• (More efficient, lower taxes, transparency)

Make

Change the rules – Legislate Improve services or infrastructure

Change

What City Councils Do

Represent your fellow citizens

Represent

Build Unity, Connect with residents

Build

Create a Community – make a place people want to come home to

Create

Give back - Be a leader

Give back

What City Councils Do

I have a dream…a vision for my City Set the direction Achieve Grand Plans

(Fulfill Campaign Promises)

How will You Accomplish Your Goals?

• 1. What power or authority do you have?
• What’s your role?
• How familiar are you with how government

works?

• How does your form of government work?
• 2. What resources do you have?
• Money?
• Staff?
• Time?

Know YOUR Role

“One constant and disturbing theme of local government is internal conflict among officials. Mayors fight with council members, council members fight among themselves, and appointed

• fficials fight with elected officials…

Very often these disputes are about who is in charge and the proper roles of officials and their duties.”

Source: David Church, Powers and Duties

Know Your Form of Government

“A common cause of conflict is misunderstanding the form of government ... Too many people run for an office without understanding the office they seek.”

Source: David Church, Powers and Duties

What Form of Government do You Have?

Forms of Government: Council-Manager – Business Model City Manager Council-Mayor – Presidential Model City Administrator

Comparisons to Other Industries

• Corporation – Board of Directors & CEO
• Non-profit – Board & Executive Director
• School District – Board & Superintendent
• University – Board of Trustees & President

Council-Manager

• President/Governor – Chief of Staff

Council-Mayor (with an Administrator)

Why Does having a City Manager seem like a foreign concept to some?

• Visibility and
• City Manager Ethics

How do you get things done?

Your professional staff members are your greatest resource.

About Your Staff

They are there to help you. Respect your role and theirs.

Be careful not to cause confusion with your staff regarding who is in charge of what.

How do you get things done?

Your professional staff members are your greatest resource.

About Your Staff

They are there to help you. Respect your role and theirs.

Be careful not to cause confusion with your staff regarding who is in charge of what.

How Can Public Administrators Help

What is Public Administration? Who are City Managers? What do they do? How can they help me?

What is Public Administration?

“The countless activities that are performed by officials in the delivery of essential public services to our nation’s citizens.”

Source: Public Administration – A Very Short Introduction, Stella Theodoulou & Ravi K. Roy

What is Public Administration?

Scholarly beginnings

Woodrow Wilson – “The Father of Public

Administration” – Public Administration exists to serve the public interest. (1887)

Frederick Taylor –The “right person” to perform the

“right task” (1911)

Max Weber – Rational Process based on rules,

professionals with proper skills, well-trained personnel and well-structured division of labor. Policy making is democratic, implementation should be based on sound, well-thought policies. (1922)

Who are These People?

City Managers City Administrators Chief Administrative Officer Chief of Staff Administrative Services Director

Who are these Managers?

It’s a profession You can major in this in college

 A Master’s Degree in Public Administration is the industry standard. (MPA)

There is also a professional credential

 ICMA-CM

What Do They Do?

Functions of Public Administrators: Planning Organizing Staffing Directing Coordinating Reporting Budgeting

Source: Gulick and Lyndall (1937) Papers on the Science of Administration

How Can They Help?

Make your life better Help you achieve your vision Carry out your direction and grand plans Find the money for your grand plans – way more than their salary Help you make government better

How can they make my life better?

Manager can focus on implementation while mayor and council focus on the big picture Professional service from someone with education and experience in the field Improve responsiveness by centralizing accountability

Source: ICMA.com, Hiring a Professional Local Government Manager

The City Manager’s Role

INFORM AND ADVISE TAKE THE BLAME OR GIVE YOU CREDIT PROVIDE CONSISTENCY DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS PROFESSIONALIZE GOVERNMENT

Experience is Critical

National City Manager Statistics  Average length of govt experience = 21 Yrs  Average time in current position = 7.3 Yrs Utah City Manager Statistics  Avg. length of govt exp. in Mtn region = 18.7 Yrs  Avg. time in position in Mtn Region = 6.5 Yrs

Source: ICMA 2012 State of the Profession Survey

What Guides Managers

A desire to serve and make the world better City Ordinances Policy and Practices Professional Organizations

Code of Ethics

Professional Organizations

ICMA and UCMA Training and other guidance Sharing Best Practices Support and encourage membership and participation

ICMA Code of Ethics

12 Tenets Integrity Fairness Giving Credit Informing public and elected officials

ICMA Code of Ethics

#7 Refrain from all political activities which undermine public confidence in professional administrators. Refrain from participation in the election of the members of the employing legislative body.

Source: https://icma.org/icma-code-ethics

Utah Law

Prohibited Political Activities

(c) a municipal officer or employee may not engage in political campaigning or solicit political contributions during hours of employment (f) a municipal officer or employee may not attempt to make another officer or employee's personnel status dependent on the officer or employee's support or lack

• f support of a political party, affiliation, opinion,

committee, organization, agency, or person engaged in political activity

Source: Utah Code Annotated 10-3-1108(2)

Balancing Politics with Administration

The study of city management is the study of how politics and administration intersect. While it was conventional in council-manager government at one time to view the governing body in terms of policy making and the administrative staff in terms of implementation, that convention does not pass the empirical test. The city manager sits at the nexus

• f what is politically acceptable and what is

administratively feasible. It is his/her job to facilitate the connection. The key word is facilitate. But others are appropriate as well. The manager “convenes,” “builds bridges,” and “creates intersections.” In all of this, the manager must remain politically sensitive but politically non- aligned.

Source: John Nalbandian, Politics and Administration in Local Government

Balance Requires Positive Working Relationships

Working together results in better

• utcomes for your community.

Infighting Hurts Your City

Source: https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/cincinnati/is-the-battle- between-the-cincinnati-mayor-and-city-manager-impacting-city-business

Mayor/Manager Conflicts Cost Your City $$$

Source: https://www.pe.com/2018/03/12/riverside-mayor-sues-the-city-he- governs-in-battle-to-veto-expensive-city-managers-contract/

Conflicts Leave Your City in a Leadership Lapse

Source: http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/20170816/elliott-poised- to-be-adelantos-fifth-city-manager-since-2015

And it Continues

Source: https://www.vvdailypress.com

Aesop’s Fable The Four Oxen and the Lion United We Stand Divided We Fall

Sources of Conflict

Role Conflicts

Electeds set policy/budget, Staff implements

Conflicts over policy/decisions

 ICMA Tenet 5  Submit proposals to officials, provide facts and advice  Uphold and implement policies adopted by officials

Don’t take policy differences personally The system is usually the problem - Deming

Source: W. Edwards Deming, The New Economics for Industry, Government and Education

Disagreement

Don’t take policy differences personally Follow Chain of Command Staff has to follow the majority We can disagree on one issue and work together on others

Conflict Leads to Turnover

Executive turnover has been shown to negatively impact organizational performance and personnel.

Source: Sheehan 2001; Droege and Hoobler 2003; Shaw, Delery, Jenkins and Gupta, and 1998

The Value of Longevity

Balance between potentially short-term elected officials and hopefully long-term employees

The Value of Longevity

Source: https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/02/12/mgk-esplin- retires-as-longest-serving-city-manager-in-nation/#.WrAEFejwaM8

Why City Managers Stay

Longevity of City Managers is more likely in small cities that: Are politically stable Provide strong support from elected officials Have managers with above- average education levels

Source: Watson and Hassett 2003

Let’s Work Together

For the good of our communities For our own peace of mind and enjoyment

Final Words of Advice

Good Leadership starts with you Hire good staff with the right qualifications Have good ordinances and follow them Work together – Be supportive of your team

Have Fun Serving