City Manager

The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and is responsible for the administration of municipal affairs. All municipal departments operate under the supervision of the City Manager. Through the City Manager, City staff, using the resources appropriated by the Council in the budget, carries out the policies of the Council to achieve desired service results in the community.

Role & Responsibilities
The Council-Manager form of government is outlined in California Government Code, sections 34851-34859. In addition to the City Manager's specific duties and responsibilities as set forth in the Arcata Municipal Code (a.m.C.) §§ 2100-2106, the City Manager also functions and has full duties and responsibilities as the City's:
International City / County Management Association Code of Ethics
The City Manager, as a member of the International City / County Management Association (ICMA), is subject to a professional ICMA Code of Ethics. It should be noted that this code binds the City Manager to certain practices that are designed to ensure actions are in support of the City's best interests.
Conflict of Interest

Conflict of Interest
There are numerous sources of conflicts of interest that may require a City Manager to disqualify him or herself from participating in decision making. The California Political Reform Act (PRA) controls financial conflicts of interests of public officials.

Political Reform Act
The Political Reform Act is one of the most complicated laws affecting local government. This law is implemented and enforced by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC), which has issued comprehensive implementing regulations. For more information, refer to the Conflict of Interest Provisions section of this website.