City Manager

The current City Manager is Robert A Brown Jr., who took office as the City Manager with the City of Wakefield on Monday,  February 25, 2019 .

Under the City Charter, Mr. Brown serves as City Manager, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Wakefield, MI.

At the direction of the Mayor and City Council, Mr. Brown provides leadership to all City staff. Mr. Brown oversees the daily operations of the City. In addition to day to day management, Mr. Brown, under the direction of the Mayor and City Council develops annual operating budgets, plans long term capital improvement projects, oversees project development and project execution.

Mr. Brown has years of leadership experience in both the non-profit, political, and private sectors, giving him a unique perspective on local government, as well as the needs of the residents and business community.

Mr. Brown holds a Bachelor of Political Science degree with honors from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) in Manchester, New Hampshire, with an emphasis in Campaign Leadership. Mr. Brown further sharpened his leadership skills in the National Society of Leadership and Success; achieving Presidential Member status after two years of study.

Mr. Brown has authored numerous papers on the impacts technology has on politics, campaign finance laws, political culture, and public administration and how it relates to government accountability.

In addition to his formal education, Mr. Brown has proven experience in community development, administration, long term budget creation, grant writing, project management, and constituent relations.

Mr. Brown has a passion for building stronger communities. He believes that regular communication with local businesses and residents is essential to good government – and maintains an open door policy. If you ever have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact his office.

The City of Wakefield operates under a council-manager form of government. The Mayor and City Council appoint the City Manager. The City Manager is the chief administrative officer of the City. The Mayor and City Council exclusively hold and exercise all policy forming and legislative functions and have all powers and rights relative to the control of City property. The City Manager provides Mayor and Council with professional management expertise by providing background on issues, proposes alternatives, and recommends courses of actions.

Under a system of local government called the council-manager form, elected officials are the policymakers who establish a vision for the City, and who hire the manager to carry out policy and ensure that all residents are equitably served. The City Manager coordinates the work of department heads and other employees, who help ensure the smooth and efficient delivery of services to residents. By building public/private partnerships, managers target all of a community’s resources to solve problems.

Additionally, the City Manager works with all the City’s elected officials as they develop policies. The Manager ensures that laws and policies approved by City Council are equitably enforced throughout the city. The Manager also seeks feedback from residents and members of the business community to address and solve problems, prepares the annual budget, submits it to Council for approval, and implements it once it is approved. Further, the City Manager supervises department heads, administrative personnel, and other employees, and also performs some ombudsman duties by investigating resident complaints and problems within the governmental organization and recommends changes to elected officials. In general, the City Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the City.