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The City of Takoma Park, MD (pop. 17,629) is situated in Montgomery County, its jurisdictional partner with whom it has a close and strong working relationship, just north of the Washington, D.C. border. It is approximately 5 miles from downtown Washington, D.C., making it a popular residential area for commuters. Takoma Park, often referred to as the Azalea City, is a thriving and dynamic community with a unique vision. The city is home to residents from various ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, creating a vibrant multicultural community. Takoma Park's unique blend of history, diversity, and progressive values makes it a distinctive and lively community.
Takoma Park is compact, consisting of 2.4 square miles with a population density of 7,345 residents per mile—a model of urban convenience and walkability. It is a community where many are committed to maintaining the city’s welcoming, neighborly, small-town charm that makes Takoma Park unique while actively pursuing environmentally conscious initiatives to preserve our natural resources and promote a green, resilient city.
Under the Council/Manager form of government, Takoma Park’s municipal budget provides funding for police, public works, finance, recreation, city clerk, communication, housing and community development, human resources, information technology, and library. The city belongs to the excellent Mongomery County public school system. The FY24 Proposed General Fund Budget is $31,294,353 and the All-Funds Budget is $43,863,733.
The City Council, which is the policy-making and legislative authority, consists of seven members – the mayor, who is elected at large and presides over the meetings, and six Council members elected by wards, all serving two-year terms. The mayor selects one of its members to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore in her absence or in the case of vacancy.
The City Manager is appointed by, reports, and is accountable to the City Council. The Manager serves as the Chief Operating Officer, providing administrative direction and leadership to all city departments and operations, including the Deputy City Manager, 10 Department Directors (Senior Leadership team), and 204 staff members.
- The City Manager effectively advises department and division heads on a full range of organizational, management, administrative, budget, financial policies, and related issues.
- The City Manager directs, supervises, mentors, and evaluates the work performance of department heads and ensures the planning and retention of a diverse workforce with a focus on inclusive practices.
- The City Manager routinely applies equitable program practices to diverse and complex city services and operates with integrity, abiding by the highest standards of ethical behavior as identified in the ICMA Code of Ethics.
The successful candidate will have a combination of education and experience that demonstrates an ability to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position, including the following:
- A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible public sector management and leadership experience in municipal government or an organization of comparable complexity, preferably (3) years of comparable executive leadership experience.
- A bachelor’s degree with major course work in public or business administration, political science, public policy, finance, or a related field, or designation as an ICMA-Credentialed Manager. A Master’s degree in public administration or a related field and/or fluency in another language (Spanish, French, or Amharic) will be considered a plus.
- Demonstrated experience working effectively with an elected governing body.
- Experience with capital project management, environmentally and financially sustainable economic development/redevelopment, housing affordability, racial equity and inclusion, multi-lingual and multi-cultural community engagement, environmental and energy conservation, and intergovernmental and nonprofit partnerships.
- Experience working in a similar full-service city with community communication and relations, financial management, public works and transportation planning, economic and housing development, human resources management, community planning, police, library, and recreation management, and emergency management.
Takoma Park will consider any combination of education and experience that allows for successful performance in this role. The city’s goals include hiring the candidate who is best able to meet the objectives of the position. The city encourages people with non-traditional skill sets and experiences to apply, even if candidates believe they do not meet 100% of the qualifications and hiring criteria described. Takoma Park is actively seeking and encouraging a diverse candidate pool.
The City of Takoma Park offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package for its City Manager position. The starting annual salary range for the position is $195,000 to $220,000 +/- depending on qualifications.
Candidates interested in confidentially applying should submit an updated résumé, cover letter, and contact information for five (5) professional references, by November 15, 2023. Questions regarding recruitment should be directed to the consultant Michael Jaillet on 781-760-3658.
The City of Takoma Park, MD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Application Deadline: November 15, 2023
Posted: 2023-11-06
