Arvada's Council-Manager Government Format: Why This System Serves Our Community Well

In this article, understand how our city operates and why this form of government matters. Arvada uses a council-manager system where seven elected Council members (including the Mayor) make all policy decisions together, while a professional City Manager handles day-to-day operations. This prevents any single person from controlling the city, ensures decisions require collaboration among multiple representatives, and combines democratic leadership with professional expertise—delivering better services and protecting residents from concentrated political power.

When Arvada residents cast their ballots for City Council or interact with city services, they're participating in a carefully designed system of local governance that has served our community for decades. The council-manager form of government may not grab headlines like mayoral races in other cities, but it's precisely this professional, collaborative approach that makes Arvada an effectively managed city.

How Arvada's Government Works

The City of Arvada operates under a council-manager form of government, a system that combines democratic representation with professional management expertise. This structure separates political leadership from day-to-day administration, creating clear roles and accountability.

The City Council serves as Arvada's legislative body, with seven elected members including the Mayor. These officials hold all policy-making authority for the city. The Mayor and two at-large council members represent the entire city, while four district representatives ensure each geographic area has dedicated advocacy. Together, they set the vision, establish policies, approve budgets, and make decisions that shape Arvada's future.

The City Manager serves as the city's chief executive officer, hired by the Council to transform their policy decisions into action. This professional administrator oversees daily operations, manages city departments, implements Council directives, and ensures efficient delivery of public services from snow plowing to park maintenance.

Unlike cities with strong mayors, Arvada's Mayor functions as the presiding officer of City Council and ceremonial head of the city, with voting power equal to other council members rather than executive authority over city operations.

Built-In Democratic Safeguards

One of the most important features of Arvada's council-manager system is how it distributes power to protect democratic governance. Unlike strong mayor systems, where one elected official can drive major policy decisions, Arvada's structure requires collaborative decision-making at every level.

Preventing Concentrated Power: In strong mayor cities, a single individual often controls budgets, appointments, and policy direction. If residents disagree with that mayor's vision, they must wait for the next election cycle for change. Arvada's system prevents this concentration of power by requiring at least four Council members to agree before any major decision becomes policy. This means residents have multiple elected representatives working on their behalf, not just one powerful executive.

Multiple Perspectives Required: Major decisions affecting the entire city must pass through public debate and discussion among seven elected officials representing different constituencies. The four district representatives bring geographic perspectives, while the three at-large members (including the Mayor) consider city-wide impacts. This structure ensures that no single neighborhood, interest group, or political viewpoint can dominate city policy.

Professional Implementation, Democratic Control: While the City Manager implements policies professionally and efficiently, all major decisions remain firmly in the hands of elected officials. The Manager cannot change tax rates, approve developments, or alter city priorities without Council direction. This separation ensures that expertise guides implementation while democratic will determines direction.

A Different Approach to Local Government

This democratic structure stands in marked contrast to the mayor-centric models many people associate with city government:

Strong Mayor systems concentrate executive power in an elected mayor who controls budgets, appoints department heads, and often holds veto power over council actions. While this can provide clear leadership, it can also lead to political gridlock when the mayor and council disagree.

Weak Mayor systems typically give the mayor limited administrative authority, with power fragmented among various elected officials and boards. This can result in unclear accountability and coordination challenges.

Arvada's council-manager system offers a middle path. The elected Council maintains control over policy direction while the appointed Manager provides professional expertise in implementation. The Manager serves at the pleasure of the Council, ensuring accountability to elected officials while bringing continuity and specialized knowledge to city operations.

Leadership in Action: Don Wick as City Manager

Arvada's council-manager system is exemplified by our current City Manager, Don Wick, who brings more than 30 years of public service experience and a deep commitment to the community he calls home. Previously serving as Deputy City Manager, Wick oversees key city operations including police, public works, utilities, community development, parks, golf and hospitality, and emergency management.

Wick's leadership extends beyond day-to-day operations to major strategic initiatives. He guides Arvada's participation in the Harvard/Bloomberg City Leadership Innovation Track, leading the city's project to leverage investment in Quantum Commons. He also represents Arvada in regional transportation planning through the State of Colorado's Mountain Rail Project and serves on the board of Metro Water Recovery.

His career trajectory within Arvada demonstrates the professional development possible in council-manager systems. Before advancing to Deputy City Manager and then City Manager, Wick held senior leadership roles, including Chief of Police and Director of Public Works. This diverse experience across multiple city departments provides him with a comprehensive understanding of municipal operations.

Holding master's degrees in both Business Administration and Public Administration, Wick brings a unique background that blends private-sector experience with public safety, infrastructure, and civic leadership expertise. Known for his collaborative approach and forward-thinking mindset, he remains focused on building a thriving and inclusive future for Arvada.

Why This System Works for Arvada

The council-manager form of government delivers several key advantages that align with Arvada's values and needs, as demonstrated through professional leadership like Wick's:

Professional Management: City Managers typically hold advanced degrees in public administration and bring years of specialized experience. This professional expertise ensures efficient operations, sound financial management, and knowledge of best practices from other communities. Rather than learning on the job, as elected officials might, professional managers arrive with proven skills in areas such as budget analysis, personnel management, and intergovernmental relations.

Political Stability: Because the Manager is hired rather than elected, city operations continue smoothly regardless of political changes. New council members can focus on policy direction rather than learning administrative details, while residents receive consistent service delivery even during transition periods.

Clear Accountability: The separation of roles creates transparent responsibility. Council members answer to voters for policy decisions, while the Manager answers to the Council for implementation. This clarity helps residents know where to direct concerns and ensures both political responsiveness and administrative competence.

Collaborative Decision-Making: The council-manager system encourages consensus-building among Council members. Without a single executive dominating decisions, policies emerge through discussion and compromise, often leading to more thoughtful solutions that consider multiple perspectives. This structure prevents any one person from making major decisions that affect the entire city, instead requiring majority agreement among elected representatives.

Focus on Governance: Council members can concentrate on their primary role as community representatives and policy-makers rather than getting bogged down in administrative details. This allows for better strategic thinking and community engagement while ensuring operational expertise guides implementation.

Preserving What Works

Some communities have abandoned council-manager government in favor of strong mayor systems, often driven by desires for more visible leadership or dissatisfaction with particular managers. However, research consistently shows that cities with professional management tend to have better financial performance, more efficient service delivery, and higher resident satisfaction.

For Arvada, the council-manager system has provided decades of stable, professional governance. Our city maintains excellent bond ratings, delivers quality services, and navigates challenges effectively precisely because we separate political leadership from professional management. The system allows for democratic input and accountability while ensuring that complex city operations benefit from specialized expertise.

This doesn't mean the system is perfect or immune to problems. Like any form of government, it requires engaged citizens, ethical officials, and continuous attention to ensure it serves the community well. However, the fundamental structure provides a strong foundation for effective local governance.

As Arvada continues growing and evolving, residents can take confidence in a governmental structure designed to combine democratic responsiveness with professional competence. In an era when many communities struggle with political division and management challenges, Arvada's council-manager system offers a proven path for effective local government that serves all residents well.

As Arvada continues growing and evolving, our council-manager system provides the stable foundation needed to meet future challenges while maintaining the democratic values our community cherishes. By distributing power among multiple elected representatives and combining their policy leadership with professional management expertise, we ensure that no single individual can impose their will on our entire community. Instead, decisions emerge through collaboration, debate, and consensus-building that reflect the diverse perspectives of Arvada residents. This system has served us well for decades, and with engaged citizens holding their elected representatives accountable, it will continue to deliver effective, responsive governance for generations to come.