The City of Dexter City Council will interview the three finalists for the city manager position. See the meeting packet for each finalist’s application materials. The job posting discussed by City Council on 10/26/2020 can be found on page 190 of the meeting packet found here. Public participation is welcome! Please reach out to me and/or my fellow council members to share your thoughts about this important decision.

• 1:00 - 2:00 William Gambill, Assistant City Manager, City of St. Clair Shores, MI
• 2:30 - 3:30 Justin Breyer, Interim City Manager and City Clerk, City of Dexter, MI
• 4:00 - 5:00 Michelle O’Connell, Finance Director, Sumpter Township, MI
• Non-Arranged Public Participation

Here is some background information about our form of city government, including the roles of the City Manager and City Council and how they interact.

Council-Manager Form of Government

Per our City Charter, we have a council-manager form of government “consisting of 6 Council Members and the Mayor who shall be deemed a Council Member for all purposes.” In this form of government, the City Manager is generally responsible for the day-to-day operations of the City and implementing the policies established by City Council. Per the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), "[t]he council-manager form encourages open communication between citizens and their government. Under this form, each member of the governing body has an equal voice in policy development and administrative oversight. This gives neighborhoods and diverse groups a greater opportunity to influence policy."

Additional details about the roles of the City Manager, Mayor, City Council, and the public are described here by ICMA:

Additionally, our City Charter has the following to say about the City Manager role (this also appears in the job posting referenced above):

Per Section 7.03, “the City Manager shall be the chief administrative officer of the city. The Council shall make the appointment on the basis of education, ability, training and experience.”

Furthermore, per Section 7.04, “the City Manager shall be responsible to the Council for the proper management and administration of the affairs of the city. The City Manager shall:

• (a) Appoint and remove employees of the city, appoint and remove administrative officers of the city (as referenced in Section 7.01, with the exception of the City Attorney) subject to advice and consent of Council, and set employee’s compensation within the budget adopted by the Council,
• (b) Supervise and coordinate the work of all the administrative offices and departments of the city except the work of the City Clerk, City Treasurer and City Assessor that is dictated by state constitution or statute,
• (c) Be the main point of communication and dissemination of information from the City Attorney,
• (d) See that all laws and ordinances are enforced,
• (e) Prepare and administer the annual budget under policies formulated by the Council, have budget control responsibility, and keep the Council advised as to the financial condition and needs of the city,
• (f) Furnish the Council with information concerning city affairs and prepare and submit such reports as may be required or which Council may request,
• (g) Make recommendations to the Council relative to all agenda items, except as directly related to the City Manager’s employment,
• (h) Employ or be responsible for the employment of all city employees and supervise and coordinate the personnel policies and practices of the city, subject to any employment ordinance of the city,
• (i) Act as the purchasing agent for the city and establish and maintain, or appoint an authorized representative to establish and maintain, a central purchasing service,
• (j) Attend all meetings of Council with the right to be heard in all Council proceedings but without the right to vote,
• (k) Possess such other powers as may be granted or required by Council, so far as may be consistent with the provisions of law,
• (l) Establish any rules necessary to carry out any of the foregoing duties, and
• (m) Perform such other duties in connection with the office as may be required by law, ordinance or by City Council.

Meeting Agenda: https://www.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2021/Agendas/2021-05-08-CC-A%20-WS.pdf

Meeting Packet: https://www.dextermi.gov/City_Council/2021/Minutes/2021-05-08-CC-P-WS.pdf

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Meeting ID: 984 5993 7814#

Reminder: Video recordings of past Council meetings are now available on the City's website (in addition to the City's YouTube channel): https://www.dextermi.gov/government/cc.php. If there's a particular past discussion you're interested in watching, just let me know and I'll do my best to point you to the relevant excerpt.