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40 In addition to learning how various policies are influencing the mission of your local government, you will want to review the roles of other elected officials, of the staff, of interest groups, and of individuals from other local governments and other levels of government in making policy. (Chapter 1, Book 1, ICMA Elected Officials Handbook) STAFF ROLE A full-time staff, hired for its expertise, also has a responsibility to help the Council formulate policy. The City Manager and the staff often make recommendations based on what has worked in other communities as well as organizational and financial feasibility, and present alternative strategies for the review and decision of elected officials. Realistically, the policy-making process and the influence of the City Manager and the organization’s staff in shaping policies - both as they are being developed and as they are implemented - do not constitute a fixed equation. As you look at various issues, you and your colleagues will find that at times the decision is based solely on your ideas, while at other times you accept staff recommendations with little discussion. But many decisions reflect a blending of Council and staff perspectives within parameters you set. Policy and administration are inextricably intertwined, and it is the responsibility of both the elected officials and the City Manager to work continually to clarify what they are looking at and to define their roles in discussions and actions. Often you must rely on your best judgment and common sense to determine what policy is. It is not the day-to-day operations of departments - that’s administration. Yes, you are ultimately responsible for the way community services are provided and how things are run, but if you hire a City Manager, you will work through him or her to make sure things are handled. (Chapter 1, Book 1, ICMA Elected Officials Handbook) ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT Once you have established policy, it is the job of your City Manager to administer or execute that policy. When a constituent complains of a missed garbage pick-up, potholes, or an overzealous police officer, working through your City Manager will help you serve that constituent most effectively. It is the City Manager’s job to know the most effective way to get action. The City Manager should also give you the staff support you need so that citizens recognize you as concerned and responsive. Also, your City Manager can tell you if a policy decision is needed from Council to deal with the issue you have raised. Although it is up to the City Manager you have selected to deal with personnel and administration issues on a day-to-day basis, you have a role to play too. There may be times when you have reason to believe that Council policies are not being properly administered, and in such cases, it is your responsibility to find out if your suspicions are valid. But do your checking through the normal chain of command. Sometimes, it might seem easier to check things out informally by contacting individual employees of the government whom you know socially. But that can undermine the authority you have delegated to the City Manager. Present the complaint to the City Manager and ask for a report. Then, if the situation is not remedied, the City Manager will have to answer to the Council for it. Internal management involves actions the City Manager takes to put the resources of the