City Government 101: What is the city manager’s job, anyway?

(Editor’s note: This is the second of a four-part series on the function of city government.)

The State of Oklahoma prescribes four different structures under which a municipality can organize. The primary distinction between them is where executive power lies.

In a town government, there is no single person responsible for daily operations, which are generally going to be more limited anyway. The position of mayor is solely to preside over the town board of trustees.

In an aldermanic or strong-mayor structure, the mayor additionally serves as the city’s chief executive officer. In the first case, the mayor is not a voting member of the council, but does have veto power; in the second case, they have both all the rights of a voting member and all authority over city operations.

Finally, there is the council-manager system. Under this structure, the administration of the city is delegated to an appointed city manager (or city administrator). This is also known as a “weak-mayor” structure, though the mayor is generally expected to still be the city’s primary representative.

Oklahoma Statutes §11-10-113 describes the mission of the city manager: “He shall execute the laws and administer the government of the city, and shall be responsible therefor to the council.” Specifically, they are tasked with appointing (or removing) any city department heads or employees, “supervising and controlling” all administrative departments, preparing an annual budget and holding the city to it, and “keeping the council advised on the financial condition and future needs of the city”.

The city council is accountable to the voting public, but the city manager is accountable to the city council. They are an employee of the city, and if they are not doing their job effectively, the council can vote to terminate them. They have a limited scope where they can act unilaterally—it has to pertain to the daily operations of the city and be below a certain dollar amount, defined in city ordinance—allowing the government to respond quickly to minor questions that arise without having to go through the council process. But any remotely significant project or expense must be published in a public agenda and voted on by the city council.

Section 1-26 of Comanche’s Code of Ordinances dictates that “The City Manager shall be appointed by a majority vote of the City Council, for an indefinite term. …The City Manager shall be selected on the basis of his executive and administrative qualifications.” Being a city manager requires a very particular set of skills; it takes a person who is intimately familiar with the ins and outs of multiple areas of government. And most of those same people can make six figures in a big city or in the private sector.

Thus, qualified and interested candidates tend to be few and far between. It’s very common for them to be hired from outside the city, which is why ordinance permits the hiring of non-residents, so long as they do reside in Comanche while they actually hold office. This last bit, however, is critical—a city manager is ineffective if they are not plugged in to their community and affected by the same decisions. As with elected city officials, a good city manager must be committed to the public benefit first and foremost.

As the chief executive officer of Comanche, the city manager appoints the city clerk, the police chief, the fire chief, and the city attorney. (Of the other defined offices, the city treasurer and civil defense director are appointed by council, and municipal judges are appointed by the mayor with council approval.)

They serve as the Superintendent of Public Works, overseeing water and electrical utilities, unless they choose to appoint someone else to the same role. They have the authority to appoint an Acting City Manager if they become temporarily unable to perform their duties, or the council may appoint one in the manager’s absence. Because of their far-reaching authority, the city manager is responsible for the actions of the departments and personnel under them.

If a mistake is made, earnest or otherwise, the manager must see that it is resolved. If they do not, then it falls on the city council to hold them accountable.That being said, the city manager’s work is protected from direct council interference. State law specifically prohibits the city council from directing the city manager or any other authority to add or remove employees and officials, or to involve themselves in “ordinary administrative matters” that are the purview of the city manager.

This applies to the council collectively, but especially to individual members who may attempt to influence the city manager directly and privately. The manager is to be entrusted with carrying out the will of the elected body faithfully but responsibly.

The position of city manager is busy, difficult and, frankly, thankless. However, it comes with a great deal of both hard and soft power that few people ever recognize. Again, a good city manager must be attentive to the voice of the community. They can’t hear that voice if no one is speaking out. Therefore, it is important that we as individuals understand who is making the decisions in city government so that we know to whom we should be talking.

Matt Brooks has a B.A. in public policy from USAO. He is a research analyst for a non-profit and a website designer.