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• Effective council relations. What is the best way for the <br />council to work with the administrative officer? What is the <br />best way for the administrative officer to work with the <br />council? <br />• Clerk, administrator, or manager? When should a city <br />choose to have one of these positions versus another? <br />A. Shared clerks or administrators <br />Minn. Stat. § 47159 Sometimes two or more smaller citie~~ will share an administrator or <br />clerk. This allows cities that do not need afull-time position to <br />combine with another city to create afull-time position and <br />hopefully retain a more qualified candidate than would be attracted <br />to a part-time position. Cities are authorized to enter into a joint <br />powers agreement for such services ii~ the cities involved all have the <br />same power to appoint such a position. <br />B. Qualifications (what to look for in candidates) <br />When a city hires a new clerk, administrator, or manager, it should <br />seek only qualified candidates. The qualifications that are best will <br />vary depending upon the needs of the city and the functions the <br />person will be expected to perform. This section applies primarily to <br />appointed city clerks, administrators, and managers. It only applies <br />to elected city clerks insofaz as it can help voters to measure the <br />degree of qualification of the candidates on the ballot. <br />Contact the League for City councils should be certain the job description is up-to-date. <br />examples of job <br />descriptions. Look at the various needs of the city and define specifically what <br />tasks the successful candidate will perform. Once the job description <br />is current, it should be easier to write an advertisement for the <br />opening. <br />In addition to the job description, city councils should evaluate the <br />current and future needs of the community. In this way, it can outline <br />the qualifications that will help the city to grow in the future. <br />Candidates should have good communication skills. Such skills aze <br />necessary because of the amount of contact clerks, administrators, <br />and managers have with their city council, other city staff, the media, <br />and the general public. <br />Candidates for city administrator or manager are often required to <br />have degrees in public administration. Managers and administrators <br />need to have a thorough knowledge of finance and budgeting. Often, <br />28 League of Minnesota Cities <br />