ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER Management and Financial Services SAVANNAH, GA (population 132,000)

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1 The Assistant City Manager Search has been temporarily suspended. As additional information becomes available, we will update this section of this website. ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER Management and Financial Services SAVANNAH, GA (population 132,000) If you ask Savannah residents why they live there, the likely answer is Why would I want to live anywhere else. And after spending a few days there, we do understand. It is an amazing place and the crown jewel of the coastal southeastern United States. SUMMARY Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Savannah is approximately four hours (250 miles) southeast of Atlanta and a bit over two hours north of Jacksonville, FL. Its climate is humid subtropical with an average year round high of 77 degrees F and low of 55 degrees F. The summers are hot and humid and the rest of the year, quite pleasant. Cultural and educational opportunities abound as well as outdoor recreation. The City is seeking a high energy, relentlessly positive and upbeat individual to be its next Assistant City Manager for Finance and Management services. The individual also plays a significant role in downtown redevelopment. He/she will be one of the City s faces to the community and must be comfortable in many venues and in diverse settings. Excellent technical skills and problem solving skills are critical budgeting and communications, in particular -- but attitude is just as important as aptitude. HISTORY In 1722 James Oglethorpe was elected to England s Parliament. While there he headed a committee investigating prison conditions and discovered many honorable men were in jail for their debts. In 1732, he convinced King George II to charter Georgia as America s 13th colony and it became a place of asylum for debtors. In 1733, Oglethorpe and 114 settlers landed at Beaufort, SC, and settled on a 40 foot high bluff that was to become Savannah. It is said that Oglethorpe had four rules for his new community: no slaves, no Roman Catholics, no strong drink, and no lawyers. With the new colonists came a city plan (they were quite a bit ahead of their time) that laid the town out in a perfect grid pattern with public squares, individual lots given to the colonists and additional space for public buildings. Over time, the City developed 24 public squares, 22 of which remain. At the time of the nation s birth, Savannah was one of the country s largest cities with a population of 3,000. From the outset, it was an important seaport and cotton quickly became its largest export. Cotton farming was greatly expanded following Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin, an event that took place near Savannah in Shortly thereafter, cotton shipments through the port soared to more than two million bales annually. For nearly a century, the world prices for cotton were set at the Cotton Exchange on Savannah's waterfront. During the Civil War, the city surrendered to Sherman to avoid the total destruction that occurred to Atlanta. The period afterwards was difficult although a number of noteworthy events occurred. Among them, the Telfair Academy of Arts And Sciences (first art museum in the Southeast) opened in 1886, nearby Fort Pulaski was restored in the early 1900s and Juliette Gordon Low founded America s first Girl

2 Scout troop in More hard times followed as the boll weevil destroyed cotton crops and the City went into decline. As a result, many of its historic structures deteriorated. The Historic Savannah Foundation was founded in 1955 with a goal of restoring old buildings in the city's historic district. Covering 2.5 square miles, it contains 2,300 architecturally and historically significant buildings. In 1977 the riverfront revitalization occurred. On the other side of the Savannah River, the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center was completed in The latest effort is the renewal and rededication of Ellis Square completed this year. It had been an above ground parking lot and was redone through a public private partnership as a public square with a four level parking garage underneath. SAVANNAH TODAY Today, Savannah is the county seat for Chatham County and covers 78 square miles. At its heart is the historic downtown and there, its 22 squares provide lush settings for numerous festivals, concerts and cultural events. It is a vibrant, entertaining, almost magical place a unique blend of the old and the new. It is a tourist mecca some 6,000,000 million visit annually - and that has brought an unusually large number and wide variety of excellent restaurants. Its St. Patrick s Day festival is the second largest in the nation - bet ween t wo and five hundred thousand people routinely attend. Its music festival starts in mid- March and its film festival (one that draws some well known Hollywood figures) starts in October. Outdoor recreational activities abound golf, boating, fishing, the beach and sailing are all nearby. Eighteen colleges and universities with over 50,000 students are within an hour s drive of the City. It is also an attractive place for retirees. Recently, the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA) captured Savannah s ethos with the slogan, Live Well and Prosper. Until fairly recently Savannah s major industry was paper. At one point, Union Camp (now International Paper) employed 6,000. The number is now closer to 600 and the major employ ers are Gulfstream Aerospace (5,400 employees), Memorial Medial Center (4,900), the Board of Education (4,700) Fort Stewart (3,900), St. Josephs /Cander Health System and Wal -Mart (2,900). The Port of Savannah is also the fourth largest seaport in the nation in terms of container traffic and one of the few that is growing. The City and SEDA are now making a push to bring more virtual/knowledge based businesses to the City. A major force in the community is the world renowned Savannah College of Art Design (SCAD). Founded 22 years ago, the College has approximately 7,500 students in Savannah (and another 4,500 on its campuses elsewhere and through e-learning). The unusual aspect of SCAD is that it has no central campus. Rather it owns 60 buildings scattered throughout downtown Savannah. These were largely existing buildings that it has purchased and renovated. The result is that not only are the college, its students and faculty fully integrated into the community but it has played a key role in improving the appearance of the City. Housing comes in a wide variety of forms and is reasonably priced. Historically, the City has had a strong tradition of private schools with the public schools not being as strong. That is changing. A new superintendent was hired six years ago and he has made significant progress in raising the graduation rate and test scores while lowering the drop out rate. Four years ago, the voters passed a one cent sales tax which is dedicated to school construction. One new school will open shortly, construction on three more will begin shortly and three more are on the drawing boards. The overall effect is that more of the residents see the public school system as a viable alternative to private school and public school enrollments are rising. But what makes Savannah truly exceptional is its people. They believe in hospitality and civility. In many ways, it is still a small town where everyone knows everyone. On one hand, to be considered a native, you need have lived here for four generations. On the other, the City not only welcomes but embraces new people.

3 Additional information can be found at: and THE GOVERNMENT Chartered in 1789, Savannah adopted the council/manager form of government in Under it, the manager reports to the Mayor and eight City Council members. Six represent districts and the Mayor and two Aldermen are elected at-large. All serve four-year terms and are elected at the same time. The elections are non-partisan and the next occurs in The City has been and remains progressive. It has invested and continues to invest in the projects and infrastructure that will encourage development while protecting the City s ambience. The City government has seven bureaus, each under the direction of an Assistant City Manager or Bureau Chief. These are: Fire and Emergency Services, Leisure Services, Management and Financial Services, Police, Public Development, Sanitation, and Water Resources/Public Works. All seven report directly to the City Manager. The only thing that is a little unusual is that in 2003, the City and County merged their law enforcement functions. The combined department reports to the City Manager for day - to-day direction. The City has a general fund budget of $180 million and a total budget of $323 million. The principal enterprise funds are Sanitation and Water and Sewer. Parking and the Civic Center and Golf Course are also enterprise funds but much smaller. Overall, the City employs 2,600 of which about half are in public safety. THE MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL SERVICES BUREAU The City of Savannah s Management and Financial Services Bureau s is led by an Assistant City Manager. Its primary purpose is to provide quality internal support to all City departments as well as high quality customer service to the citizens of Savannah. The bureau is comprised of fourteen departments: Auditing, Central Services, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Parking Services, Purchasing, Recorder s Court of Chatham County, Research and Budget, Research Library, Tourism and Film Services, Citizen Office, Revenue and Vehicle Maintenance. The Bureau s employees are talented and committed. They display an unusual amount of dedication to improving the City and the organization. The bureau has an annual operating budget of $33.6 million and a total staff of 309. THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER POSITION The Assistant City Manager for Management and Financial Services is a highly responsible management position responsible for directing all of the City s internal support services. Reporting directly to the City Manager, the individual s responsibilities include participating as a key executive leader in setting the vision and direction for the City; leading the departments within the Management and Financial Services Bureau; directing City-wide fiscal management, monitoring adequacy of financial and procedural controls, ensuring administration of City personnel rules and regulations and management of employee benefits programs; directing and evaluating staff; and dealing effectively with problems as they arise. The individual also plays a leadership role in the City s efforts to redevelop the downtown. He/she will serve as a point of contact with the downtown development community using his/her financial expertise. THE IDEAL CANDIDATE The next Assistant City Manager will possess strong leadership skills and have outstanding interpersonal and presentation skills. A strong sense of commitment and having the ability to lead with vision are both critical. The individual will be creative it is not so much thinking outside the box as not realizing there is a box. She/he will be able to visualize things as they ought to be and then work with City employees,

4 developers and residents to achieve that vision. The next ACM will be very customer service oriented and comfortable dealing with people from all walks of life and from every economic stratum. The individual will be responsive, relentlessly positive and optimistic. He/she will also be high energy and committed. The next ACM will have a healthy skepticism of bureaucracy while also recognizing it is a necessary part of any organization. As such she/he will push to ensure it serves the City s residents and businesses and not vice versa. The individual will be fair and work to create an environment where employees not only survive but thrive. He/she will understand the importance of transparency and have a strong relationship with the media while also understanding information cannot always be freely given. Finally, the individual must be an outstanding writer. The Assistant City Manager interacts regularly with elected officials as part of the City Manager s team and the successful candidate must be very comfortable in that role. She/he must also be able to establish and maintain good working relationships with residents and community groups, other City departments and bureaus, and local, state and federal agencies. The successful candidate for this position must have the following knowledge, skills, and abilities: Comprehensive knowledge and experience in municipal financial management; Analytical and technical expertise in information services; Ability to develop and work with all City departments and elected officials; Extensive knowledge and experience in human resources and employee relations; Proven record of active and positive employee interaction; Strong leadership, open management style, and excellent interpersonal and communication skills; and Knowledge and experience with redevelopment. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS The successful candidate must possess a Master s Degree in Public/Business Administration, Planning or a related field with a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible combined experience in municipal financial management and human resources management or an equivalent combination of education and experience. SALARY & BENEFITS The salary for the position is dependent on experience but anticipated to be between $145,000 and $170,000. Benefits are generous and include 12 paid annual leave days each year, 10 paid holidays each year, medical insurance including eligible dependents at reasonable rates, life insurance, a flexible benefits plan, ICMA/RC Deferred Compensation plan, a wide variety of employee training and wellness programs, an employee assistance program, a dental plan and long term disability insurance. CONFIDENTIALITY The City will protect the privacy of all candidates and no names will be released except that of the selected candidate.

5 HOW TO APPLY AND QUESTIONS Interested applicants must submit resumes and cover letters on line to by April 12, Faxed and mailed materials may not be considered. Applications made after that date will be considered if the position is still open. The City does intend to move quickly though so do not delay. Questions should be directed to Colin Baenziger of Colin Baenziger & Associates at (561) SELECTION PROCEDURES The Consultant in conjunction with the City Manager and his staff will select those candidates who most closely match the desired applicant qualifications as described above. An in depth background investigation will be conducted for the finalists. The investigation includes a supervised drug screen, reference checks with previous employers, personal references, and a review of the candidate s criminal, civil, credit and motor vehicle records. Education and employment will also be verified. Interviews will be conducted and a conditional offer of employment will then be made to the candidate of choice. The candidate is then scheduled for a pre-employment medical screen. Applicants not selected for the position will be notified by once the selection process has been completed. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Savannah values a diverse and progressive workforce. encourages minorities and women to apply. It is an equal opportunity employer and