Item #04
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Jim Schaad, City Manager
Subject: Assistant City Manager Job Description
Recommendation:
Pass a Motion to approve the attached Assistant City Manager job description.
Rationale for Recommendation:
Staff recommends approving an Assistant City Manager job description to strengthen executive leadership capacity, improve operation effectiveness, and ensure continuity of management as the City’s responsibilities, projects, and service demands continue to grow. Adding the Assistant City Manager duties will allow more flexibility in the City Manager’s ability to delegate duties.
Background:
The City’s operations, services, and regulatory responsibilities have continued to expand in scope and complexity. At the same time, the organization is managing increasing demands related to growth, infrastructure investment, financial oversight, intergovernmental coordination, and heightened community expectations for transparency, responsiveness, and service delivery.
Currently, the City Manager is responsible for overseeing a wide range of operational departments, major projects, policy initiatives, and external relationships. As the organization grows, this centralized structure limits capacity for strategic planning, proactive problem-solving, and consistent oversight across all functional areas.
Establishing an Assistant City Manager (ACM) position will strengthen the City’s executive leadership structure by:
• Providing additional executive-level oversight of daily operations and departmental coordination • Allowing the City Manager to focus more effectively on long-term strategic initiatives, policy development, and Council priorities
• Improving organizational efficiency, accountability, and internal communication • Enhancing continuity of leadership and succession planning • Supporting complex projects, cross-departmental initiatives, and interagency partnerships The Assistant City Manager will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, helping ensure that operational decisions align with the City’s strategic goals and adopted policies. This position reflects a proactive investment in organizational capacity and is consistent with best practices in municipal management for cities of similar size and complexity.
Date: January 16, 2024
Item #04
Staff recommends this position be a classified, non-represented position. As with other Agencies, this nonrepresented position would receive the benefits that the Management Group.
Alignment with City Council Goal(s):
Goal #6: Strengthen Institutional Capacity
Fiscal Analysis:
Approval of the Assistant City Manager job description and conversion of the Community Development Director position will require an additional annual appropriation of $30,000 reflecting compensation and associated benefits necessary to align the position with expanded executive-level responsibilities. This cost does not represent an increase in full-time equivalent staffing, but rather a reclassification and consolidation of an existing position. Staff recommends this position be a classified, non-represented position. As with other Agencies, this non-represented position would receive the same benefits as the Management Group.
The fiscal impact for the remaining 2025/26 fiscal year, including salaries, and related benefits will be approximately $15,000, effective January 1, 2026.
Attachment:
1) Job Description