Town Manager

    The Town Manager serves as the chief administrative and executive officer of the Town of West Warwick. The Manager is responsible for the overseeing of the day-to-day operations of all the town departments. In conjunction with the Town Council, the Manager's duties include administering a balanced budget, contracts, labor relations, citizen complaints and inquires. The Town Manager is committed to the managing of the Town's resources with proficient planning, strong internal controls, a service-oriented work force with a strong devotion to carry out the mission set forth by the Town Council.  The Town Manager also serves as Public Safety Director and works closely with all departments to insure the safety, health and welfare of the residents and businesses of the Town of West Warwick.  

What is the Council-Manager form of government?

Council-manager government combines the strong political leadership of elected officials with the strong managerial experience of an appointed manager or administrator. All power and authority to set policy rests with an elected governing body, which includes a mayor or chairperson and members of the council, commission, or board. The governing body in turn hires a nonpartisan manager who has very broad authority to run the organization. Born out of the U.S. progressive reform movement at the turn of the 20th century, the council-manager system was designed to combat corruption and unethical activity in local government by promoting effective management within a transparent, responsive, and accountable structure.

The elected council or board represent their community and develop a long-range vision for its future. They establish policies that affect the overall operation of the community and are responsive to residents’ needs and wishes.

To ensure that these policies are carried out and that the entire community is equitably served, the governing body appoints a highly trained professional manager on the basis of his/her education, experience, skills, and abilities (and not their political allegiances). If the manager is not responsive to the governing body, it has the authority to terminate the manager at any time.