New video highlights how San Antonio's elected officials work together with the manager for the good of the city

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new video produced by ICMA, the International City/County Management Association (www.ICMA.org) describes how the citizens of San Antonio benefit from having both Mayor Julian Castro and City Manager Sheryl Sculley working on their behalf.

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In "San Antonio: A Partnership for Success," elected, business, and civic leaders list the benefits of having both a mayor and a professional city manager. Interviewees (in order of appearance) include:

• San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro
• Former mayor Phil Hardberger
• San Antonio Chamber of Commerce President Richard Perez
• City Council District 3 member Leticia Ozuna 
• Robert Rivard, former editor, San Antonio Express
• Chuck Saxer, community advocate
• Former mayor Lila Cockrell
• City Council District 4 member Rey Saldana
• City Manager Sheryl Sculley

They make the points that:

• The city manager brings to local government the same executive skills found in the private sector.
• As a nonpolitical position, the manager ensures continuity in city operations, even though officeholders change.
• By handling administration of city departments and functions, the manager frees the mayor and city council to concentrate on developing their vision for the city.
• The manager sees the big picture, ensuring that the policy visions of the mayor and the city council meld with the city's ongoing priorities.
• The city manager brings financial expertise, fiscal discipline, and stability to the city. Interviewees credit Sheryl Sculley for the role she played in San Antonio achieving its Aaa bond rating.
• The manager oversees hiring for key positions, making sure the right people are hired to run the city's departments, from the libraries to police and fire to sanitation.

View the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kej_WNDDtfs).

The video is a component of Life, Well Run (www.LifeWellRun.org), ICMA's campaign to raise awareness of the contributions professional local government managers make to cities, towns, and counties across the United States, building communities we're proud to call home.

San Antonio is one of five pilot communities across the country to be showcased by ICMA in the Life, Well Run campaign.

About ICMA
ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide. The organization's mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build sustainable communities that improve people's lives. ICMA provides ICMA provides a stringently enforced set of ethical standards; member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to 9,000 city, town, and county managers and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas.

SOURCE ICMA