City Manager

INTRODUCTION

The City of Worthington, Ohio is seeking a forward-thinking leader for the position of City Manager. The City Manager leads and directs the daily operations of the city and is responsible for the supervision of all departments. It is a highly responsible leadership position which works closely with the City Council in ensuring the effective delivery of public services and the maintenance of the high quality of life

Worthington residents have come to expect. The City Manager is a highly engaged leader and liaison with the community at-large and various community-based organizations and related regional agencies.

 

HISTORY

Worthington is the earliest planned community in Ohio and was settled in 1803. Early leaders purchased 16,000 acres of land and planned the layout for the village. The pre-planning of a community was unique for early 19th century Ohio, yet pioneers had a vision for their new community. Worthington was platted as a New England-type village around a central public square, which was designated for religious

and educational purposes, as well as a spot for community gatherings. This area remains today as the city’s Village Green and still maintains the values of Worthington’s founders, while also anchoring one of central Ohio’s most iconic downtown historic districts.

 

WORTHINGTON TODAY

Today, Worthington is a vibrant city known for its high-quality city services and responsiveness to citizen requests and concerns. Worthington is a premiere suburban community in the growing Columbus/central, Ohio region, ideally located at the northern crossroads of I-270, I-71, US23 & State Route 315, with easy access to, from, and around the central Ohio region. In 2022, Realtor.com named Worthington the third-hottest housing market in the nation. This is a testament to the people, the institutions, and the cultural assets that are within the Worthington community. Worthington’s close-knit neighborhoods, tree-lined streets and walkability add to the appeal of the City of Worthington for residents and businesses. The Worthington School District serves approximately 10,000 students living in and near Worthington. The Worthington Schools are ranked as one of the top districts in the state of Ohio. In addition, Worthington Libraries has been recognized as the National Library of the Year and is continually praised and recognized for its outstanding programs.

 

The 5.63-square-mile community is surrounded almost completely by Columbus – the state capital and home to The Ohio State University. Worthington has a culture of community partnerships and regional collaboration. The city works closely with area business organizations, as well as the schools, libraries, community and neighborhood organizations on initiatives, programs, and events to benefit residents, businesses, and visitors.

 

Worthington is home to many active, engaged, and talented citizens who care deeply about the community and regularly volunteer their time and expertise to help it succeed. According to recent Census data, the population of Worthington is 14,500, with a median age of 43.3 years. The median household income is $113,559, the median housing value is $329,100, and 69.5% of Worthington residents possess a bachelor’s degree or higher.

 

Worthington’s location offers easy access to all the attractions and conveniences of a big city combined with the charm of small-town living. Residents and visitors alike enjoy Worthington’s many attractions such as the McConnell Arts Center, Olentangy Trail, outstanding park system and historic sites. Worthington’s downtown has restaurants ranging from pubs to coffee shops to a French bakery. A multitude of specialty shops have home décor, clothing, and jewelry. Worthington’s business base is strong and includes the global headquarters of Worthington Industries. The state-of-the-art Worthington Community Center supports healthy lifestyles with an aquatic complex, fitness center, and art studios.

 

The Organization

 

City of Worthington is a home-rule, charter municipality operating under the Council-Manager form of government with a City Manager appointed by a seven-member City Council.

 

The seven-member City Council is the governing body for the city with municipal elections being held every odd year. Councilmembers serve for four-year, overlapping terms on a non-partisan, all at- large basis. From within Council, following Council elections every two years, two members are chosen to serve as President of City Council and President Pro-tem. The roles of Mayor and Vice-Mayor are largely ceremonial and include presiding over the Mayor’s Court. The Mayor and Vice-Mayor are selected by the City Council from outside its membership and must have a valid law license in the State of Ohio.

 

As a full-service community, Worthington provides traditional municipal services including Police, Fire & EMS, Public Works (Service Department), Engineering, Parks & Recreation, Planning & Building, Economic Development, Finance, Administration, and Mayor’s Court. A professional staff consists of 145 full-time and 170 part-time employees in both union and non-union environments.

 

The City of Worthington is fiscally sound. The City Manager oversees a $40.8 million all-funds budget, to include a $34.6 million General Fund and general capital improvement expenditures approximating $6.0 million. The primary source of revenue for the city is the 2.5% municipal income tax. Worthington possesses an AAA bond rating and a General Fund cash balance of 73% of 2022 expenditures.

 

Challenges and Opportunities for the Next City Manager

 

Interviews with the City Council, staff, and numerous leaders and community stakeholders have identified challenges and opportunities that will need to be addressed by the new City Manager, in collaboration with City Council, staff and the community.

 

•     Recognize the opportunities and challenges of a first-ring, suburban community with small town values, a respect and appreciation for its history and a tradition of an excellent quality of life.

•     Ability to balance the community’s traditional desires with increasing demands/expectations for new and cutting-edge programs, increasingly

responsive city services and community amenities/ developments that will retain Worthington’s position as a premiere community in central Ohio.

•     Work collaboratively with City Council and the community to cast a vision for the future and build support for that vision and its implementation through specific, measurable, action-oriented, relevant, time-bound, inclusive and equitable (SMARTIE) goals to address such issues as:

•    Financial stability and health for the long term;

•    Downtown vibrancy;

•    Achievable housing options for families, young people, seniors and others who can contribute to the diversity of the community;

•    Infrastructure maintenance and enhancement;

•    Comprehensive community planning processes;

•    Community resiliency;

•    Sustainability;

•    Community/Regional connectivity/Corridor Plans; and

•    Staff recruitment and retention to address the need for highly-skilled professionals who are responsive to the community’s needs, recognizing the difficult hiring market that exists today.

•      Assist City Council in leading and managing change and growth in the community, including, but not limited to, appropriate and desired economic, housing, infrastructure, and greenspace development.

•      Build partnerships with potential developers for development/redevelopment projects that are beneficial and understood by all parties. Engage the community to ensure its needs are met and support is garnered for such projects.

•      Develop effective working relationships and partnerships with community organizations, including schools, civic organizations, and resident groups, recognizing that the community is becoming more diverse in terms of interests and opinion as well as demographics and encourage and welcome a wide variety of input into city decision making. Leverage these relationships to create projects, services and activities that meet community needs.

 

Requirements / Preferred Qualifications

The Ideal Candidate will:

•     Be an experienced leader and manager who can build trust and confidence with City Council, city staff, professional colleagues, businesses, community

partners, including the Worthington City School District, civic/service organizations, and the community at-large.

•     Possess a collaborative leadership style to include an orientation towards engagement of citizens, businesses, and community partners and institutions with the goal of building consensus around a strong community vision, goals, direction and at the same time, be responsive to issues/problems/concerns that may arise and involve the community in their resolution.

•     Possess demonstrated servant leadership skills to effectively retain and assemble a team that prefers a family-oriented culture and is high performing, resilient and responsive to the community it serves.

•     Demonstrate strong personal and professional values including honesty, integrity, and respect, as well

as emotional intelligence skills to create working relationships with others.

•     Develop an appreciation of the history and traditions of the community while embracing a creative and innovative approach for desired change.

•     Be customer-focused with an emphasis on high-quality service delivery and continuous improvement.

•     Provide excellent stewardship of taxpayer dollars while recognizing and creating opportunities to leverage public and private sector partnerships for the betterment of the overall community.

•      Have the economic development acumen and skillset to foster well planned, financially viable and beneficial growth initiatives for the city.

•      Be a strategic leader establishing and articulating clear direction and achievable goals for city staff and taking responsibility for their achievement.

•      Demonstrate the ability to make quality and timely decisions based on input and resources from others.

•      Communicate effectively and be transparent in interactions with the City Council, boards and commissions, staff, residents, and businesses while always understanding the importance of upholding the city’s reputation for honesty and openness in its governmental actions.

•      The successful candidate will have ideally earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a related field of study from a fully accredited institution of higher learning and have

demonstrated at least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in municipal administration or planning. A master’s degree or other advanced training or certification is preferred.

 

Compensation and Benefits

The City of Worthington offers a highly competitive salary and fringe benefit package. Starting salary will ultimately be commensurate with the skills, experience and educational qualifications of the successful candidate.

 

How to Apply

 

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and detailed resume to:

Management Advisory Group, LLC

ATTN: David Collinsworth, Managing Partner dcollinsworth@themanagementadvisorygroup.com

Electronic submittal/correspondence is preferred.

David Collinsworth, P.O. Box 1915, Westerville, Ohio 43086 Phone: 937-787-4283

Applications/resumes are encouraged to be submitted by June 16, 2023, to be given the utmost consideration, although applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Resumes for this position are public records and subject to inspection.