DEPARTMENT FUNCTION
The
City Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer of the City, responsible to
the City Council for the administration of all city affairs. The Manager sees that all laws, provisions of
the City Charter, ordinances, resolutions, and acts of the Council are
faithfully executed.
In
addition to overall municipal management, the City Manager oversees the
financial administration of the City; develops, coordinates, and implements
services; and strives to enhance community relations to insure a high quality
of life for the residents of
The
City Manager supervises and coordinates the personnel policies and practices of
the City and makes recommendations to the Council, from time to time, regarding
measures, as he deems necessary or appropriate, for the improvement of the City
administration.
Finally,
the City Manager furnishes the Council with information and makes
recommendations concerning City affairs and prepares and submits such reports
as may be required or to consolidate the reports of the several officers and
departments of the City.
GOALS AND
OBJECTIVES
Goal 1:
Coordinate
and administer the daily functions of the City of
Objectives:
1. To assure the citizens of the City that
their tax dollars are being utilized in the most effective methods.
2. To recommend appropriate ordinances to
the City Council for consideration.
3. To ensure that City
employees are properly trained to perform their designated functions.
4. To improve
computerization and technology to obtain and maintain information for
management policies, decision making, and for the public.
5. To
administer a central purchasing system.
6. To fully comply with all
of the requirements for the position of City manager as in the contained City
Charter.
Goal 2:
Provide the necessary leadership,
professional management skills, and guidance for a vibrant, growing community.
Objectives:
1. To keep the Council informed of critical
matters and situations which involve or may potentially involve the City.
2. To maintain a
comprehensive Personnel Policy Manual complete with job descriptions for all
City positions.
3. To maintain open
communication with the staff, the Council, the citizens of
4. To strive to cooperate
and coordinate services with other governmental agencies.
Goal 3:
Improve community relations and image
in order to nurture civic pride throughout the community.
Objectives:
1. To
recognize outstanding achievements in our community.
2. To maintain an active and positive
presence in the community.
3. To establish and improve
the citywide safety policies and implement appropriate standards as much as
possible in all areas.
4. To carry out the policy
directives and ordinances adopted by the City Council in a timely and efficient
manner.
Goal 4:
Ensure
financial affairs are in sound order.
Objectives:
1. To prepare and present the Annual Budget
to the City council in accordance with the terms of the City Charter, Code of
Ordinances and all applicable statutes.
2. To demonstrate compliance
with the budget plan through effective reporting on the finances and
administrative activities of the City.
3. To conduct training workshops to department directors to ensure that they are knowledgeable in the budget process, control and regulations.
DEPARTMENT FUNCTION
This
department is responsible for listing each parcel of real estate and each
personal property account located within the city limits for the purpose of creating
and maintaining an assessment roll. The
assessment roll is the basis for calculating property taxes, and must comply
with the “General Property Tax Law”, Public Act 206 of 1893.
The
Assessors Office collects, maintains, and disburses information on
approximately 2800 real estate & 600 personal properties. This information is organized and analyzed in
putting together each year’s assessment roll.
In conjunction with appraising, there are many related functions such as
market analysis, sales studies, rent studies, and land value studies.
Prepare
cities tax roll and special assessment rolls, as well as work with other
departments on various projects.
Maintain
a database of real and personal property owners, including their mailing
address.
Maintain
a file on each real property that includes structure photos and drawings, a
parcel sketch, a list of building permits, and a history or ownership
transfers.
Maintain
personal property records of businesses.
For example, a building may be owned by one entity, yet a number of
businesses lease space and own personal property within the building.
Assist
Owners, Real Estate Brokers, Appraisers, and members of the business community,
as well as various other agencies in their quest for information about properties
located in the
Process
Land Division and Combination applications.
Division applications require a fee, and a survey. We review for compliance with state and local
regulations including the
Process
Transfer Instruments and Property Transfer Affidavits when
Process
Homestead Affidavits for owners who occupy their property, enabling them to
receive a property tax reduction.
Keep the
public informed and up to date concerning Property Assessment and Property Tax
Laws.
Help the
public understand market value as it relates to their property. Assessed value should represent 50% of market
value (usual selling price of an arms length sale).
Help the
public understand taxable value as it relates to their property taxes. Help
them to understand capped and uncapped taxable value.
Assign
property addresses in the
Receive
complaints concerning assessed and taxable values, year around, but especially
during February and March, and as tax bills are received in July and December.
Defend
assessed values before the Michigan Tax Tribunal.
The
Assessor’s Office visits properties to review records, as part of our
continuous effort to maintain accuracy and keep up to date. Fieldwork is also done to add building permit
information to the records.
February
is when the annual assessment notices go out.
In March the formal Board of Review meets to hear property taxpayer’s
concerns.
DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Goals:
1. Establish
a routine reappraisal program
2. Streamline
our operation to become more efficient
3. Work with
4. Work towards digital interface with GIS.
Objectives:
1. Establish a
routine to reappraise all properties, taxable and non-taxable, at least once
every five to ten years. That includes updating
sketches and digital photos.
2. Continue to
expand our use of computers to streamline our operation and speed up particular
portions of the workload. This will also
reduce duplication and spread the workload more effectively.
3. Work with
other departments in maintaining an accurate mapping system that will be used
for a variety of applications and projects.
4. Expand the
knowledge and use of GIS.
DEPARTMENT FUNCTION
The
City Clerk/Treasurer's office is responsible for financial management and
transaction processing for all City and City-affiliated funds and all record
keeping pertaining to the official records of the City.
All
minutes, resolutions, ordinances and official actions of the City Council are
recorded and filed. All minutes of open
meetings, adopted ordinances, codes, and other documents for the City are
available to the public for general information and for purchase as required
under the Freedom of Information Act.
The office is responsible for all publications and public notices for
the City.
The
Clerk/Treasurer plays an increasingly active role in administering the human
resources function of the City. This
includes recording keeping, liaison with fringe benefit providers, enrollment
and dis-enrollment of employees from fringe benefit plans, participating in
collective bargaining, and advising and directing other staff on the processes
and procedures used to effect personnel actions including hiring, changes in
terms of employment, evaluation, discipline, discharge, and retirement.
The
Clerk/Treasurer administers and oversees:
financial and accounting systems, payroll, cash management, including
investments, water and sewer billing, tax and miscellaneous service billings,
the issuance of licenses and permits, collection of outstanding receivables,
including taxes, the conduct of elections, personnel management, collection of
civil infractions, and maintaining insurance and bond policies, including
filing related claims.
DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Goal 1:
Continue
highly effective and efficient transaction processing.
Objectives:
1.
Timely processing, recording and reporting of cash
receipts, accounts payable, payroll, and other transactions according to law,
regulation and policy.
2.
Optimize investment income by careful cash
management and prudent investment in accord with law, regulation and policy.
3.
Collect taxes, water and sewer charges, and other
receivables fully and timely.
4.
Pay employees and provide fringe benefits accurately
and timely; properly record all labor related costs.
5.
Pay vendors accurately and timely; properly record
all expenditures.
6.
Maintain accurate and timely books of account that
facilitate operations management.
7.
Support the audit function.
8.
Provide information to City Council, City Manager,
and other administrative staff that supports and facilitates their roles.
Goal 2:
Develop and
improve staff competencies.
Objectives:
1. Professional training of staff in the use of computer software applications.
2.
Cross training of staff such that each staff member
is capable of properly performing most routine tasks of the department.
3.
Improving job skills by staff attending work related
courses offered by local education institutions and the Michigan Municipal
League.
4.
Improving staff’s working relationships with each
other, other departments, and the public.
5.
Continue to train and orient new staff in new roles
to fully apply their skills and abilities and to discover potential process
improvements.
6.
Evaluate task assignment for all positions on an
ongoing basis.
Goal 3:
Improve
records management.
Objectives:
1.
Improve future reference of records by organizing
and maintaining hard copy files.
2.
Improve future reference of records through
increased utilization of computers by cataloguing location of records by file
type and description of each record within each file.
3.
Maintain a checklist to be used for each record
requiring follow-up action by elected officials, city attorney, or staff; staff
to track necessary events through proper recording and filing of each record.
4.
Maintain compliance in human resources
recordkeeping; provide appropriate control, access, and retention.
Goal 4:
Improve
budget development and administration processes.
Objectives:
1.
Add supporting detail to the budget.
2.
Analyze trends in historical budget data to identify
potential reductions and other adjustments.
3.
Add review and analysis to the process of monthly
status reporting.
4.
Assist department heads with anticipating needs for
budget amendments such that the total number of such amendments is reduced.
Goal 5:
Improve procedures for personnel
actions including hiring, promotions and transfers, pay rate changes,
evaluation, discipline, and termination.
Objectives:
1.
Develop systems of personnel action that comply with
pertinent law, regulation and policy and support the achievement of
departmental and City goals and objectives.
2.
Fully document such action in appropriate records.
Goal 6:
Evaluate department technology
systems.
Objectives:
1.
Assess adequacy and shortcomings of existing
hardware and software to support department functions.
2.
Identify alternative solutions in the market.
3.
Develop recommendations and strategic and tactical
plans for upgrading and/or replacing existing systems according to identified
needs.