The Ledger

By Becky Holland

COCHRAN, Ga. — A resident contacts City Hall with a concern but isn’t sure who is responsible for addressing it. A business owner needs information or assistance from the city. Someone interested in investing in Cochran wants to know whom to contact and what happens next.

Who is responsible for making sure city government works from day to day?

In Cochran, much of that administrative responsibility rests with a position residents do not elect: the city manager.

As part of The Ledger’s continuing Understanding Local Government series, a look at the City of Cochran Charter helps explain what the city manager is responsible for, how that position relates to City Council and what residents should reasonably ask about the operation of their city government.

The manager is the city’s chief administrative officer

Cochran’s charter gives the city manager a significant role.

Section 2.30 states that the city manager “shall be the chief executive and administrative officer of the city.” The manager is responsible to City Council for the administration of city affairs placed under the manager’s charge.

The distinction is important.

City Council appoints the city manager for either a definite or indefinite term and determines the manager’s compensation. The charter says the manager should be selected primarily on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications.

Residents elect their councilmembers. Council, in turn, appoints the person charged with managing much of the city’s administration.

The manager manages

The charter goes considerably further than simply giving the city manager a title.

Among the manager’s specified duties is directing and supervising the administration of city departments, offices and agencies, except where the charter or law provides otherwise.

The manager also has authority to appoint and, within the provisions established by law and city personnel ordinances, suspend or remove employees and administrative officers appointed by the manager.

Department directors also operate under the direction and supervision of the city manager. The charter makes those directors responsible for administering their individual departments while placing them within that administrative chain of command.

That structure is important when residents are trying to understand who is responsible for a city matter.

A particular department may handle an issue, but the charter places the administration and supervision of city departments under the manager, except where otherwise provided.

What happens after council takes action?

Some of the city manager’s responsibilities may not be particularly visible to the public.

One of them is making sure certain decisions become action.

The charter requires the manager to see that laws, provisions of the charter and acts of City Council subject to enforcement by the manager or employees under the manager’s supervision are “faithfully executed.”

That makes following an issue beyond a council vote important.

Council may approve something during a public meeting, but that vote may only be the beginning of the administrative process.

Was the action carried out? Which department was responsible? Was additional work required? Was it completed?

Those are reasonable questions for citizens to ask.

Keeping council — and the public — informed

The city manager also has significant financial and reporting responsibilities.

The charter requires the manager to prepare and submit annual operating and capital budgets to City Council. It also requires the manager to submit a complete report on the city’s finances and administrative activities at the end of each fiscal year and make that report available to the public.

The manager must keep City Council “fully advised” about the city’s financial condition and future needs and make recommendations to council concerning city affairs.

The manager may also be required to provide other reports concerning departments, offices and agencies under the manager’s supervision.

Council isn’t supposed to manage employees directly

Cochran’s charter also draws an important line between City Council and city administration.

Except for inquiries and investigations authorized under another section of the charter, council and individual councilmembers are required to deal with employees under the city manager’s supervision “solely through or in conjunction with the manager.”

The charter further states that councilmembers cannot give orders to those employees publicly or privately.

The charter separately instructs councilmembers to work harmoniously with the city manager in conducting city business and to refrain from directing the activities of city officers or employees.

That division of responsibility matters.

If councilmembers generally are not supposed to manage city employees themselves, the city manager’s responsibility for supervising the city’s administration becomes particularly important.

What about businesses and prospective investors?

City administration also plays an important role in the experience of people who operate businesses in Cochran or are considering investing in the community.

A business owner or prospective investor may contact the city seeking information, assistance or direction concerning a project.

The charter does not state that every such inquiry must personally be handled by the city manager. It does, however, place the administration of city departments, offices and agencies under the manager’s direction and supervision, except where otherwise provided.

That makes some practical questions worth considering.

Is there a clear path for someone seeking assistance from the city?

Are questions directed to the appropriate person or department?

When additional information is needed, is it provided?

When follow-up is promised, does it occur?

Those questions matter to people already doing business in Cochran — and to someone deciding whether Cochran is a community in which they want to invest.

What should residents look for?

Knowing what the charter says gives residents a framework for asking informed questions about their local government.

When a concern is reported, is it clear which department is responsible?

If that department doesn’t address the issue, where does the concern go next?

When council approves an action, is it carried out?

Are city departments being supervised and coordinated?

Is council receiving the information it needs from the administration?

When something remains unresolved, can residents determine where responsibility lies?

And does the government residents experience in practice reflect the governmental structure established in the charter?

These questions do not require residents to make assumptions about individuals. They allow citizens to look at responsibilities established in the city’s governing document and understand how their government is designed to operate.

Ask questions. Stay informed.

Understanding local government isn’t about finding fault. It is about knowing how the government that serves your community is supposed to work.

Residents have every reason to ask questions.

Who is responsible for this issue? What happens next? Who should I contact? Has action been taken? If not, what is the next step? When should I expect an answer?

Business owners and people considering investing in the community can ask those questions, too.

Attend council meetings. Read the agendas and minutes. Follow issues after votes are taken. Ask for clarification when something isn’t clear. And when you contact city government with a concern or question, don’t be afraid to respectfully follow up.

Cochran’s charter establishes the city manager as the city’s chief executive and administrative officer and makes the manager responsible to City Council for the administration of city affairs placed under the manager’s charge.

Good local government requires more than people doing their jobs. It also requires an informed community willing to pay attention, ask questions and stay engaged.

Understanding your government is the first step.

Editor’s note: This story is part of The Ledger’s continuing “Understanding Local Government” series examining Cochran’s city charter and helping residents better understand how their local government is structured.