Because there is such high demand for individuals with finely honed talents, it could drive up the market price for city managers, forcing cities to pay more to attract the best talent.
The plethora of openings may be unprecedented, but so too are the opportunities. Many city managers are more than just employees. The best of them are public servants. One of the most important factors – outweighing even salary and compensation packages – could very well be the opportunity to affect a positive change in a municipality. Complexity of a job, size of the city’s government, and the number of tools in a city’s shed could all lead the best and brightest from the talent pool into jobs that might not have the highest pay.
From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
While the employment market is tough for most, potential city managers may find opportunity around several corners of the Los Angeles area.
With about a dozen Southern California cities potentially seeking new city managers this fall, some local officials are worried demand could drive up the price for talent to run their cities.
Azusa Councilman Keith Hanks, whose City Manager Fran Delach is retired but working part-time until the city hires a replacement, said it may take more money to bring in experience than it did to pay for Delach.
Read the full article here.