the municipal secretary desktop reference manual - Southwestern ...

GENERAL MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE, LEADERSHIP AND
MANAGEMENT STANDARDS
SMALL MUNICIPALITIES
The General Municipal Governance, Leadership and Management Standards are the building
blocks for the implementation of the program and staff standards. Unless the responsible policy
officials establish an environment such as proposed by these Standards, the other standards should
not be considered and implemented.
Implementation of the General Municipal Governance, Leadership and Management
Standards will produce the following Aproducts@:
! identification of personal responsibilities of those who are elected to public office; a
process which supports and encourages openness to a government's decision-making
process;
! a set of rules and procedures designed to provide for the orderly conduct of legislative
meetings;
! a reporting system concerned with promoting greater rationality in the municipal
decision-making process;
! a management system which provides for the appointment of a professionally trained
chief administrative officer; and
! an internal governmental structure wherein functions, responsibilities and relationships
are clearly identified.
As building blocks, these standards provide for an important operating philosophy and
structural framework for a jurisdiction. These standards deal with a local government's:
! internal organization;
! approaches to management and administration, decision-making processes, and
legislative-management relationships;
! personal responsibilities of elected officials.
The several standards were developed from a philosophical position which is concerned with the:
! publics' opinions of their local governments; openness in a government's processes and
operations; extent to which a jurisdiction has professionalized its management
operations;
! responsiveness of a government to its constituent needs;
! accountability of the government to the providers of its resources; and
! the personal responsibilities municipal offices assume when elected to a municipal office.
Based upon this philosophical position, standards have been developed for six areas:
! Personal Responsibilities of Elected Officials
! Providing for Competent Municipal Management
! Governing Body-Manager Relationships
! Meetings of the Governing Body
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