Our Services

Manhattan Beach is governed as a General Law city and operates under a Council-Manager form of government. The Council-Manager form is a system of local government that combines the strong political leadership of elected officials in the form of a City Council, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The other appointed officer is the City Attorney.

The City Manager is appointed to carry out policies and ensure that the community is served in a responsive manner. The City Manager is responsible for oversight of all City operations and delivery of public services. The City Manager appoints the City’s seven department heads and works closely with each of them in developing policy recommendations and responding to directives of the City Council, ensuring that the city services are performed to the highest standards. The City Manager provides leadership and direction to the City’s management team and has responsibility for operations ranging from budget and purchasing, to personnel matters.

In addition to performing the day-to-day activities associated with management of the organization, the City Manager’s office facilitates citizen inquiries related to public documents and City services; implements special projects authorized by the City Council and supports City Council in the development and adoption of City policy.