As per the web site “Job Search,” these are the prominent differences between a city administrator and a city manager:
A city administrator is responsible for the day-to-day operations of a city.
A city manager oversees the city’s departments and employees.
Let’s go deeper into each position responsibilities.
Administrators develop long and short term plans to ensure the city is running smoothly and efficiently, creates budgets, manages city personnel and works with the city commission to develop laws, ordinances and policies.
A city administrator typically has a background in both public and private business and is expected to have excellent organizational and communication skills.
City managers run day-to-day operations of the city government, work with the mayor and other city officials to develop and implement policies and programs, oversee city budgets and make sure departments run effectively and efficiently and sometimes is responsible for economic development and attracting new business to city.
Most cities require a bachelor’s degree, but a master’s degree is preferred.
Salary averages for each position, as published via Job Search as of October 5, 2022, were administrator $76,484 per year. Manager was $89,902 per year. Of course, these salary figures will vary from city to city.
One reason, and most likely the main reason, stated for a change from administrator to manager would be the manager would have total authority to hire and terminate department directors. This would keep it non-political and the commission would not be a part of the decisions regarding personnel.
Department directors would be working and answerable to only one person and not ten commissioners and a mayor. This in itself would be extremely beneficial to directors but also maybe to the taxpayers.
Part of the current problem is that every city employee seems to be at the beck and call of any commissioner that wishes to give an order or job to perform.
Yes, commissioners, not all but some, have self-imposed power and authority to go over the administrator’s head and directly to a department director with an instruction or a want list. And yes, these same commissioners threaten directors with the loss of their job if they don’t comply. All the while protecting unqualified, under achieving parasites on the taxpayer’s payroll.
Changing to a city manager would be a move that Augusta may well need. However, the person chosen for the position would have to be a person of strong moral character, strong will, strong track record and strong intestinal fortitude.
The city manager should have a proven track record of successful hiring abilities, not a person that will operate a “family and friends” employment agency.
I believe and have always believed that Augusta needs a competent city manager with a firm hand on the tiller and the ability to make a pickaroon walk the plank.
A policy should be put in place that a commissioner’s request to a department head must be given to the city manager, and the manger will handle the request from there. If this doesn’t happen, there will still be commission bosses.
When the city manager’s position is filled, it should be filled by meeting one single criteria: qualifications. Nothing else should bear on the decision— just plain and simple qualifications; if the candidate has captained other ships and managed not to run aground, damage another vessel or spur a mutiny, then they are the one for the job.
Now, a reasonable salary must be considered, but Augusta’s leadership seems to think spending more gets better results. Most experienced business people know that doesn’t always ring true.
The salary, benefits and perks for an Augusta city manager need to be realistic, not outlandish. Remember, the vice president of these United States only makes $235,000 a year in salary.
The last administrator, Odie Donald Sr., was hired at $240,000 a year salary. With benefits and perks, it was more in the area of $312,000 a year, and look what was gotten for that outrageous salary. A grossly inflated budget of $1 billion a year. Most of the money was ill spent using relief funds on salary increases and bonuses due to the pandemic’s stress on the city personnel.
Mind you, not one employee of the city lost one dime of salary due to the pandemic. They could work from home if they chose to, and many did so.
Augusta’s finance committee members, with the exception of one member, should all have to take the basic “Economics’ 101” class. It’s crystal clear they must have missed that class in school. They have no clue as to how to prioritize what’s most important to Augusta’s well being.
While Augusta has no obligation to give any 501 c3 any financial support, the Augusta commissioners seem to have no problem handing out money like it was growing on trees. The problem is they only want to give out the perks to their own personal choices. This in itself creates a huge burden if they get the full 6 votes. Which normally happens.
You know the deal, “you vote for mine and I’ll vote for yours.”
In the upcoming 2024 city budget, it may be prudent that if any money is to be budgeted to NGO’s or non-profits, there should be a total budget amount. That amount should be placed in a separate account and administered jointly by Destination Augusta and the Augusta Sports Council.
A good city manager would require any entity that requests funding from the city to have to fill out an application with all necessary details including projected financial gains for Augusta. This way it keeps commissioners out of it.
Speaking of the 2024 city budget, it will be worthwhile to keep a sharp eye and keen focus on what is going on both in front of the curtain and behind. A $1 billion budget that may just not have the revenue to cover it. The raises given with the funds from the rescue act has to be maintained, among other things.
Already, three commissioners have stated quietly that taxes may have to be raised. Trust me, the taxes will have to be raised, no malarky, sparky.
Everyone should understand that taxes have to be paid for a city to operate. However, some of us are very tired of paying and paying and paying some more for less services than before. Others pay nothing and seem to get the same, if not better, services. How does this happen?
While the commission did pass an “operational” audit, it really won’t tell how the taxpayer’s money was spent or where the money actually went. They all agreed there would be NO looking back. Remember, they have to make a path forward.
Remember the old commercial that stated, “You’ll wonder where the yellow went when, you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.”
Maybe Augusta citizens need a mantra that goes, “We’ll all know where the money went when, we forensic audit Augusta government begins.”
Then, perhaps, we can march the rapscallions to the poop deck and toss the rascals overboard.
