When cities begin to experience pressure from growth they need to adapt. One way to do so is with a city manager. What is a city manager? There’s only two in Idaho, but it’s the most common form of local government in the country. The city manager is an experienced professional that takes care of the budget and day to day activities. With a city manager, the local government mirrors the functions of a business in the private sector. Think of the city council members as the board of corporation and the mayor as Chief Executive Officer. The voters are the shareholders. The ‘shareholders’ select the city council members, ‘the board’, and the mayor, ‘the CEO’. The mayor and council then select an ‘administrator’ to execute day to day tasks, and this is the city manager. Unlike the mayor or city council, city managers can be fired within 24 hours, since that’s the length of time it takes to call a special meeting. City manager don’t stand for a four year term, they stand daily, day in – day out. 

Cities that have to the opportunity to have professional management with a city manager have higher bond ratings, higher citizens satisfaction, and greater consistency in policy execution.