The current City Manager is Mandy Lake. She took office as the City Manager with the City of Bessemer on Monday, November 11, 2024.
Under the City Charter, Mrs. Lake serves as City Manager, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Bessemer, MI.
At the direction of the Mayor and City Council, Mrs. Lake provides leadership to all City staff and oversees the daily operations of the City. In addition to day-to-day management, she, 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.
Mrs. Lake 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 her office or contact her via email at Mandy.Lake@cityofbessemermi.gov.
The City of Bessemer 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.
