City manager possibilities discussed at chamber luncheon

As the city of Homewood continues to study whether to change their form of government, city managers from two neighboring cities, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills, provided their thoughts on the matter at a Dec. 13 Homewood Chamber of Commerce roundtable.

Mountain Brook City Manager Sam Gaston, who has held his role for 29 years, was joined by Vestavia Hills City Manager Jeff Downes, who will celebrate 10 years in his role next year.

Joining them on stage and asking questions was Homewood City Council President Alex Wyatt. Wyatt asked the men to explain the differences in their roles and their cities’ respective forms of government. 

Downes explained that in Vestavia, he functions as the “CEO,” overseeing the day-to-day management of the city and supervising all employees. He answers to the five-person City Council, which includes the mayor, a voting member of the council.

“My role is to implement the will of five different elected officials,” Downes said. 

As opposed to a mayor-council form of government in which the mayor has more authority, Downes said having a city manager forces the council to come up with policy in a collective manner and reduces some of the politicking that is possible with a mayor-council form of government. Downes brings resources, opinions and staff to help the council make the best decision and also oversees Vestavia’s annual strategic planning session, held in the first two months of the year. At that meeting, city leaders review the past year and set strategic goals for the new year.

In Mountain Brook, the first city in Alabama to have a city manager form of government, instituted the role by ordinance, rather than a vote of the people like the one Vestavia held more than a decade ago, in 1942. Gaston handles the day to day operations of the city, but unlike Downes, does not act as supervisor for the city’s police and fire chiefs.

The other option being considered by Homewood is to hire a city administrator who would work under the mayor, though Wyatt said adding a city manager, in one of the two forms represented by Downes and Gaston, is the most likely option. The city of Hoover has a city administrator, Allan Rice, who reports to Mayor Frank Brocato.

In addition to having a professional oversee a city’s day to day operations, having a city manager provides some continuity if elected officials are voted out of office, Gaston said. The average length of a city manager is seven or eight years, he said, though he and Downes have exceeded that average. City managers are also able to usually hire better trained employees and offer better pay, improving a city, he said.

“In over-the-mountain communities, we are so blessed with a quality of life that very few places the rest of the state enjoys,” Gaston said.

Gaston encouraged Homewood to “legitimize” the addition of a city manager by allowing the people to vote on whether to change the form of government or not, rather than simply changing it by ordinance.

If and when the city’s form of government changes, the next step will be hiring the city manager. Wyatt asked the men what qualities city leaders should look for in that hire.

Downes said each community that goes down this road must determine what skill sets they are looking for. When he was hired in Vestavia, the city was focused on hiring someone who could bring much-needed economic development to the city, he said.

Gaston said he and Downes would be willing to help the city find the right person, and said a city manager should be someone who is dedicated to public service, well-organized, able to get along with people and experienced.