An Exceptional Opportunity to Serve the Citizens of this Highly Unique Community as their next
CITY MANAGER
Clarkston is centrally located in DeKalb County, Georgia within ten miles of downtown Atlanta. The City covers approximately 1.8 square miles and has a growing population of approximately 14,500. Its location within the Atlanta region Clarkston provides convenient access to the area’s many transportation, educational, recreational, and cultural amenities.
The City of Clarkston is well known for its diversity. In the 1990s, refugee asylum programs in the United States identified Clarkston as a good fit for displaced persons of many different backgrounds. The housing market offered a wide variety of homes ranging from multi-family and cottages to large single-family homes. Clarkston had convenient access to public transportation major highways. By the 2000s the local high school had students from more than 50 countries; a local mosque had 800 worshippers; and, by some estimates, half of the City population was from outside the United States. More than70 Languagesarespoken in Clarkston. Time Magazine called Clarkston "the most diverse square mile in America.” The City is often referred to as "the Ellis Island of the South.
According to Zillow, the current average home value in Clarkston is $290,786, up 7.1% from the past year. Clarkston is both a great place to visit and a great place to live.
The City utilizes the Council/Manager form of government. Accordingly, governance is vested in the Mayor and City Council which is composed of six Council members plus the Mayor. The Mayor is elected at-large and serves a four-year term. The six Councilmembers are also elected at large and serve four-year overlapping terms. The Mayor votes in case of a tie in any vote of the City Council and has the power to veto official acts of the City Council. Elections are nonpartisan and there are no term limits.
The City Council appoints the City Manager, City Clerk, City Attorney and Municipal Judge. The City Manager is the City’s Chief Administrative Officer and policy advisor to the City Council. The Manager is responsible for the efficient administration of all departments. Clarkston is a full-service municipality which provides the following services: the City Manager’s Office (which includes the Assistant City Manager, an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, a Special Events Coordinator, Communications and an Administrative Assistant), Police Department, City Clerk, Public Works, Planning and Development, Parks and Recreation, Finance, Court Clerk, Planning and Economic Development and Human Resources/Risk Management. Clarkston’s FY24 Expenditure Budget for all funds is $15,883,249 of which the General Fund Operating Budget is $9,224,065. The budget supports 51.8 FTE’s.
Requires a combination of education and experience equivalent to attainment of a Bachelor’s Degree (MPA or MBA preferred) complemented by at least 5 years of increasingly responsible management experience preferably gained in a local government. Successful non-profit or private sector management experience may be considered. Recent experience as a local government department head, assistant or deputy manager will also be considered. Although not a requirement, experience with diversity would be very helpful.
Compensation will be highly competitive. Beginning compensation is negotiable based on qualifications and experience. The City provides excellent employee benefits which include paid time off, medical, dental, vision, Georgia Municipal Association retirement benefits and professional development. Relocation expenses are negotiable.
Application And Selection Process
The recruitment will remain open until the position is filled. The first review of applications is scheduled for Monday, September 30, 2024. To apply, please email a letter of interest, a detailed résumé, and current salary to:
Located on the southwestern coast of Connecticut, along Long Island Sound, Darien is part of affluent Fairfield County. There are two train stations in Darien, serviced by Metro North Railroad, for commuting to cities to the north and south of town. To the south, neighboring Stamford, a large CT community with many business headquarters, and New York City are easily accessible. To the north, Bridgeport and New Haven are frequent destinations. Amtrak is also accessible through the train stations in Stamford, Bridgeport and New Haven.
While Darien is one of the most expensive places to live, it has one of the lowest mill rates in the state. Darien residents enjoy two public beaches, a number of parks, and a newly acquired 63-acre property known as Great Island. The Town offers a first-class public school system. Due to a lack of available undeveloped property, recent efforts have included redevelopment of old commercial properties into mixed-use locations with retail, restaurants, personal services on the first floor, and condos or apartments on upper floors. This will have the effect of increasing the population of this beautiful town.
