Reflecting on your career, what first drew you to local government, and what kept you there? 
I was a third generation city manager and had lifelong exposure to the city management profession. My brothers and I were raised by our single father, who was a city manager. He took us everywhere and showed us everything he did,and we loved it. We would visit all the projects he was working on, sometimes sit in on meetings and admire the impacts he was making on each community. Watching him work inspired me to follow in his footsteps and pursue a career where I could help advance the goals of the community I call home.
I loved every minute of my 38-year career doing all the same things my father did. Our teams built parks, playgrounds, libraries, swimming pools, senior centers, bike and nature trails, bridges and public safety centers. We worked on redevelopment and other economic projects that had a significant impact on the communities we served. In one city, we brought in both an In-N-Out and a Tommy’s Burgers, and people treated us like heroes. Collaborating with top-tier professionals and businesses was incredibly rewarding.It was exhilarating, and I could never get enough of it.
Which project or initiative are you the most proud of from your time as a city manager?
The revitalization of downtown Winters by our team was the most amazing experience of my career. We took an area that was 80% vacant and made it a jewel of the Sacramento region. The course was very strategic in planning. We collaborated with investors, property owners and businesses to make it all happen. We had regional partners and brought in other cities to help generate a momentum on curing infrastructure issues and pushing key initiatives. Our staff and city council operated in perfect harmony, unlike anything I had ever experienced. They tackled the tough issues head-on while treating people with empathy and respect. Achieving big milestones isn’t always smooth or universally praised, and the journey can be challenging at times. But when things come together, the rewards feel truly incredible.
What did you find most fulfilling about the role of city manager? How did it evolve over time?
I learned that being a city manager is 100% about the success of other people and finding joy in it. It’s like the circus, and you get to be the ring leader with all those on your team as the stars of the show! The key role was about mentoring, challenging, supporting and letting really good professionals do their job. It was also about holding people accountable to maintain the synergy of the team.
Most people becoming city managers were once the “stars” of their organizations. They were the “leads” on the big projects who made really good things happen. When you become the city manager, you quickly learn that you need to empower and support those rising stars because you carry a much broader responsibility to the organization. Eventually, you learn the critical importance of having the right people in those key positions doing the big things, and you are in the ‘support’ role versus the ‘doing’ role. You learn to celebrate those teams of people because it’s the reflection of your ability to successfully manage the organization.
What leadership qualities do you believe were most critical to your success as a city manager?
You need to be the role model for the entire team, all the time. You need to exude integrity, hard work, accountability and passion. You need to be excited about what you are doing and never be short on giving credit to others —things like humility and acknowledging the expertise and capability of those around you. You need to be able to hold people accountable and have an objective system for doing so.
I always enjoyed sitting in meetings on key projects where each team member would tell me what we were doing and how things were going to get done. My team would talk completely “unfiltered” to me on certain things, which I appreciated and took as the highest form of respect. When taking on the big and controversial initiatives, when they know you have their backs, they will have yours.
How did you manage work-life balance as a city manager?
You need to stress the balance throughout your organization and make it a priority. You need to prioritize things like family, wellness, time away and outside interests. Time management is a critical skill, and you need to schedule good stuff, like family and wellness, into your life.
When conducting performance evaluations and setting goals for key staff, it’s important to include personal goals as well. This might involve planning vacations, participating in family activities or being involved in their kids’ school events and extracurriculars. During evaluations, we check in to ensure they’re making time for these priorities too.
We actually set low caps on vacation balances and required utilization versus cash out. It gives people an incentive to take time off.
How did you engage with the residents of your city/cities? Any memorable experiences?
My biggest priority in hiring people was emphasizing that “city hall needs to be a part of the community.” That meant being active with the chamber of commerce, schools, youth leagues, friends of the library, downtown associations and bringing young people into the organization. We were involved in everything and with everyone, covering every group in town.
I offered and helped coordinate the community’s largest youth organization, soccer. My public works manager coached the high school varsity football team, my economic/housing manager was president of the school board, my environmental services manager was involved with the friends of the library. My maintenance staff were coaches in every sport. If there was an event, it was our cones covering the intersections, the police car led the parade and every piece of fire equipment was in the parade. We ran the community pool and hosted the community fireworks show. Some of us were in service organizations like the Rotary Club and the Lions Club.
We all supported each other, working with all facets of the community, all the time. I learned more about how we were doing by parents out on the soccer field than I ever learned at a meeting or inside city hall. We learned to live in the city we worked in, and it was GREAT! The result was an incredible level of community trust and credibility because people knew all of us.
What were some of the most significant challenges you faced as a city manager in California?
The threats from the state of California were always imminent and present. The state was always looking to raid the revenues of cities when they fell short. During my career, we saw Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF), permanent shifts of road revenues, the end of redevelopment and the end of any sharing of revenues from the federal government. Cities were unprotected, and the state was always ready to take when they needed to. Eventually, they eliminated redevelopment to cure a short term revenue problem, which was the equivalent of killing the golden goose for things like affordable housing production and revitalization.
Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic was the most chaotic period of my career. The state-mandated shutdowns, coupled with a lack of transparency around decisions and the sudden authority granted to public health officials, created a whirlwind of challenges. The mandates forcing cities to close businesses were devastating, putting owners out of business and employees out of work. It was a deeply traumatic experience for everyone involved.
In March 2020 as things were coming down on COVID-19, I was on a conference call with the other city managers, the County Administrative Officer (CAO), the public health director and county emergency manager. We discussed the topic of state directives on shutting down businesses, and the first item brought up by the county was closing distribution warehouses and facilities( i.e. the supply chains). The conversation quickly shifted to things like anarchy, martial law, runs on stores and rioting. We all agreed that shutting supply chains should be a last resort, but the health director encouraged us to wait to see what the state says. This was a time where representative government was completely abandoned, and the governor issued directives, cryptically, through periodic posts online. Calls to legislators did no good because they would blatantly say that it was 100% the governor. For a time, it was the end of representative government, and it was terrifying — a crazy time which I hope never happens again.
Looking back, what do you wish you had known when you first became a city manager?
The greatest mistake of my career was not doing my due diligence before accepting a city manager job offer. At the time, I didn’t fully understand what I was getting myself into.
Before accepting an offer to become the city manager, you need to do research and interviews to really know what you are getting yourself into. You need to know the culture of the organization and the real story on finances. You’ll also need to receive an overview of litigation and legal issues with the agency, deepen your understanding of what is going on with human resources and talk with key labor about relations.
When you go through a recruitment and become a finalist, you need to realize all the conflicts of interest that exist amongst parties who will not give you full disclosure. The recruiter is always going to tell you what a great organization, council and opportunity the job is for you because they want to fill the job. The council is always going to sound positive about what a great city it is and how you are perfect for the job. Department heads will always be up and excited about you joining the team. The interim manager is generally never going to tell you anything negative.
The number one piece of advice I can give to anyone is that when they offer you the job, immediately set up interviews with the city attorney, finance director, human resources manager and labor representatives from public safety and general employees.
Ask questions about:
- lawsuits and claims
- review the audit
- the status of finances and fund balances
- how many personnel investigations have been done in the past three years
- the number of terminations the city has had
- how many recruitments the city has had and overall turnover
- how many harassment claims and grievances have been made
- any issues which will be coming forward in the next 18 months
- grievances
- systems for performance evaluation and if they are current
- request a functional organization chart which details who does what and responsibilities
The interim city manager should be developing a transition packet. Meet with them, and make sure it is going to have complete summaries of everything going on in the organization. Ask the interim for the real “scoop” on what is happening.
Remember, you have an offer on the table. These folks must be honest with you because you are about to become the city manager and their boss. You are the prize, and going into a bad situation is the last thing you want. Ask all the questions, and get the answers so you know what you are getting yourself into. If they say no to the meetings and disclosure, say no to the offer.
What are some accomplishments from retirement you’re most proud of?
In retirement, I have learned that the real skills and superpowers of city managers is our ability to multi-task, prioritize, strategize and breaking down even the most complex issues and putting them into a plan for implementation and making it happen.
In 2023, I retired from city government and now dedicate myself to helping people who need help. I work in Kenya with HEART- Africa on advocating and advancing opportunities for single HIV positive mothers and their children. I am advancing programs in business development, micro credit and vocational training. I advocate for the education of African girls and help change cultural norms against young marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM). I champion opportunities for women to help them become empowered and attain equality in income-generating activities.
In Baja California, Mexico, I am working with Genesis Diez in Master Planning for Rancho Genesis, a summer camp that provides relief for 3,000 orphans living in the almost-150 orphanages in the greater area of Northern Baja. I am helping expand key utilities and facility capabilities for water, wastewater and electricity. I volunteer to provide assistance to serving the almost 6,000 orphans at Rancho Genesis as an “amigo” at the camp, working with the children and helping them have the best experience possible.
I am active with Rotary International helping advance clean water and sustainability projects throughout the world. I spend time feeding the homeless at the Gathering Inn Shelter in Auburn, California.
To see more about what I am doing, go to www.jdonlevy.com.