A city administrator is a person who, on behalf of a council or mayor, is in charge of overseeing all city departments. Even if the mayor and council are considered part-time jobs, the administrator is usually a full-time position. The city administrator also serves as a liaison between the department heads and the city council, acting as a point of contact and advocate for both groups. In some cities, the city administrator may also be directly responsible for the finance department.
One of the most important responsibilities of the city administrator, also known as the city manager, is to ensure that all other city departments are running smoothly. The administrator will assist various department heads in staying on budget, setting goals, and ensuring that all departments are working together for the benefit of the city’s citizens or residents. Weekly meetings with city departments are held the administrator on a regular basis.
Those who have concerns or objections about how the city is handling a situation can often appeal to the city administrator. There may be steps before it reaches the main administrator, depending on the city government’s hierarchy. Assistant city administrators, for example, may exist in some cities. The presence of an assistant administrator is usually determined the size of the city and the difficulty in handling all aspects of the job one person.
The city administrator will typically take a proactive role in developing an overall budget, in addition to holding weekly meetings with department directors and acting as an avenue of appeal for the public. The city administrator and the finance director frequently collaborate to review the numbers, forecast revenues, and determine what the city can afford in terms of a budget for the coming fiscal year. Of course, the city council has the final say, but the city administrator and finance director can have a big say in those decisions.
Some cities expect their city administrators to be a high-profile, visible member of the community. Other cities prefer that the mayor or even individual council members take on that responsibility. If the city expects the manager to maintain a high public profile, this will most likely entail working with the media as well as joining various community social organizations and clubs.
A city’s top administrator may also play a key role in employee discipline issues in addition to these responsibilities. If an employee challenges a direct supervisor’s or department director’s disciplinary action, the matter will most likely be reviewed the administrator, who may act as a mediator between the two parties. Even if it does not take up a lot of time, it is still a responsibility that many administrators have to deal with on a regular basis.