Office of the City Manager

ABOUT CITY OF SAVANNAH GOVERNMENT

The City of Savannah operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The Savannah City Council appoints the City Manager to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the City, responsible for annual budget development and advising council on policy issues.

The City Manager serves as the Chief Executive Officer for the City of Savannah, the state’s second largest municipal corporation (excludes consolidated governments) with a $425M budget and 2,400 employees.  

The City Manager leads an Executive Leadership Team of five Offices--
Police, Fire, Operations, Infrastructure and Development, and Community Services--to manage the organization day-to-day and provide administrative leadership to some 30 departments and service centers.  The administrative team not only implements the policies that Council adopts but also works with Council to develop a strategic vision/mission with core values for the community and the organization and sets the goals and objectives to achieve.  The City’s Charter, adopted in 1954, prescribes the City Manager’s powers and duties.  

Powers and duties generally (City Code Section 3-108).  Key duties:

• Serves as Chief Executive Officer and head of the administrative branch of City government.
• Responsible to the Mayor and Council for proper and efficient administration of the City government.
• Approves all claims (payments) and executes contracts.
• Takes part in discussion during Council meetings, stated and special, but cannot vote.
• Recommends to Council programs and services as deemed necessary and to improve efficiency.
• Prepares and submits the annual budget and service plan that sets priorities and then tracks revenues and expenditures to deliver those services with measures to safeguard financial health and security, operate in an effective and efficient manner and maintain City’s assets.   Prepares and submits to City Council a recommended capital improvement plan that sets priorities for capital repair and investment to improve and maintain community services and organizational assets.
• Submits an annual report on the government’s finances within 90 days at end of each fiscal year.
• Keeps the Mayor and Council advised of the City’s financial condition (quarterly reports).