OCEAN CITY – A proposed reorganization to the city’s pecking order, including the creation of a deputy city manager position, was approved this week by resort officials.
Just a couple months into City Manager Terry McGean’s tenure, it has become apparent his office needs a lighter workload, including fewer direct reports. As it stands now, all 15 of the town’s departments report directly to McGean. Under the proposal presented this week, a deputy city manager position would be created and that individual, among other roles, would have five departments reporting directly to them.
“We originally discussed this during the budget process,” he said. “There has been a realization for a while now that the city manager has too many direct reports.”
There was a time when 23 town departments reported directly to the city manager. That number was reduced when the town’s tourism-related departments were merged under the umbrella of the business and economic development department, according to McGean.
“The council and the previous city manager did an excellent job last year when a number of departments were consolidated in the tourism department,” he said. “Having sat in that chair upstairs for a couple of months, there are still too many direct reports. We now have 15 direct reports plus the city clerk reporting directly to the city manager.”
McGean said he reviewed private and public-sector averages in terms of the number of direct reports.
“When you look at it in terms of management resources and what that number should be, you get some different opinions,” he said. “The traditional thought is the average in the corporate world should be 11. The typical number for a city manager is between eight and 12.”
“The second thing is the continuity of operations,” he said. “If for whatever reason I am unable to be here or I’m on vacation, who’s in charge? I think right now that’s still a source of confusion. If something were to happen to me, there would be a clear chain of succession.”
Yet another element is grooming a potential candidate to take over as city manager in the future, McGean said.
“Finally, in the longer term, it could be about grooming someone or having someone to take over in the future,” he said. “That’s not a guarantee that person would get the position, but we would have somebody who knows the town.”
The five departments that would become direct reports to the new deputy city manager would be recreation and parks, planning and community development, risk, information technology and grants and special projects. All others would remain direct reports to the city manager.
“There are some that I felt strongly always need to be direct reports for the city manager,” he said. “The five I’ve identified are diverse. I think it’s important this position has direct reports to it. I don’t want to create a city manager, deputy city manager and then everybody else situation. Then, I’ve just moved the problem to somebody else.”
McGean asked the council for approval to create the new position along with the reorganization chart.
“I would like to move forward with advertising the position,” he said. “I would like to do it internally only. At this point, I believe we have some great resources in the Town of Ocean City. I’m also seeking approval for the reorganization.”
Council Secretary Tony DeLuca praised the thoroughness of McGean’s proposals.
“Before I make a motion, I would just like to say, Terry, you really have done a great job with this,” he said. “I’ve been here seven years and you know we have gone from 23 to 15 and 10 direct reports. It just makes so much sense. It’s just spot on.”
Councilman John Gehrig asked specific questions about the new position’s job description.
“I certainly support it,” he said. “What is this person actually going to do? When you look at the job description, there is a lot of guidance and advising and relationships. You’re the city manager and you’re going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting. This high-level person needs high-level responsibilities. Leadership is important, but getting deep into the mud is important too.”
McGean agreed, and said that’s why he designed the reorganization chart the way he did.
“Essentially, I agree with you 100%,” he said. “That’s why I specifically put those five departments under that position. Some of those departments have significant challenges.”
McGean said the new position and the reorganization will allow him to be proactive in his position as the city manager.
“I’m sitting up here most of the time reacting,” he said. “I would like to have more time for planning and being proactive. That person is going to be in charge of five departments. There is a lot of responsibility for that person.”
With that said, the council voted unanimously to approve the new position and the reorganization chart.
