A county manager is an administrative official who oversees daily operations at the county level. For this position, an advanced degree is usually required, as well as some experience in county administration. The position has a broad scope and may require long hours as well as a high level of public accountability. The county manager serves as the administrative face of the county, reporting to elected officials and members of the public with concerns about county policies and activities.
All county departments must be overseen by this administrative official. Counties are typically in charge of agencies that deal with issues like child welfare, traffic safety, and construction. The county manager keeps an eye on these departments, takes part in hiring and firing decisions, and collaborates with agency representatives on policy recommendations and other matters. This necessitates a thorough understanding of what each department does, who works in each department, and how the departments function. Some county managers may have worked in a county department previously and thus have a deeper understanding of its operations.
County managers also have administrative staffs to help them and other county officials with their work. They collaborate with a human resources department on issues ranging from maternity leave to hiring new employees. Typically, county managers collaborate closely with accounting departments to address funding, budgetary issues, grant applications, and other related issues. Financial networking is critical because the county cannot run out of money for day-to-day operations or it will be unable to meet the public’s needs.
The county manager may provide a briefing to elected officials. This can happen at meetings of the board of supervisors or in private communications between the county manager and elected officials. This member of the county administration may be called upon to give formal testimony at public meetings about a topic under discussion. Staff members might want to know which county departments are in the most desperate need of funding, or how the county makes hiring decisions, for example.
The county manager travels in addition to working in an office setting. She might have access to a number of agencies in the same building, but she might also need to travel to different locations throughout the county. She needs to be able to meet with employees who are unable to come into the office. In a civil emergency, such as a bad weather warning or a security threat, the hours can get long, and the county manager must be willing to stay late or come in early as needed.