CITY OF TAKOMA PARK, MARYLAND
Challenge of a lifetime to live and work in a community with a high quality of life and highly educated residents. The City has the feeling of a small town, yet is ideally located next to Washington, D.C. The City is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity with residents who pride themselves on their political and civic activism. The original community of Takoma Park was founded in 1883 by Benjamin Franklin Gilbert along the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad...part in the District of Columbia and part in Maryland. Today the City of Takoma Park is one of Montgomery County, Maryland=s fourteen incorporated cities. The current population of Takoma Park is 17,299. Since the adoption of a new City Charter in 1989, Takoma Park has operated under a Council-Manager form of government. The Charter provides for a City Council made up of six members and a Mayor who is a voting member of the Council. Issues facing the City include completion of the community center; commercial economic development and redevelopment; high quality affordable housing; alternative revenue sources/creative financing and budgeting; increasing urbanization of the area, traffic management and pedestrian safety; and changing demographics and diversity issues. See www.cityoftakomapark.org for more information. The City Manager is appointed by and reports to the City Council. Representative powers and duties include being responsible to the City Council for the proper execution and administration of all affairs of the City; appointing, suspending, or removing all heads of offices, departments, or agencies; developing and presenting the annual budget and being responsible for its administration after adoption by the City Council. The successful candidate for City Manager must have a graduate degree in Public Administration or related field and/or equivalent experience; possess substantial management experience in a municipality/public agency; possess demonstrated experience in budget development, budget management and administration, and financial management systems, including experience with revenues, capital improvements, and expenditure controls. The ideal candidate should have familiarity with results-oriented budgeting and/or performance-based budgeting. Must be a leader with the ability to recognize the overall picture and have demonstrated ability to anticipate rather than react to municipal problems, concerns and opportunities; be able to provide leadership and direction to city staff; delegate responsibility while holding staff accountable for their performance; ensure the achievement of city goals and ensure responsiveness to resident needs and concerns; be able to create and maintain an open and respectful work environment; maintain a positive and healthy relationship with the City Council; be able to present professional perspectives, concerns and implications of proposed policy actions, and the perspectives of City staff to the City Council in a timely manner; and be committed to carrying out Council decisions in a timely, professional, and impartial manner. The salary for the new City Manager for the City of Takoma Park is expected to be in the low $100,000s and is negotiable, depending on qualifications and experience. An auto allowance or automobile and a competitive fringe benefit program will also be part of the total compensation package. Confidential resumes and cover letters should be sent by close of business on March 31, 2004, to James L. Mercer, President, The Mercer Group, Inc., 5579B Chamblee Dunwoody Road, #511, Atlanta, GA 30338. Phone: 770-551-0403; Fax: 770-399-9749; E-Mail: mercer@mindspring.com. The City of Takoma Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer.