As Davis鈥 city manager, Mike Webb 鈥98 tackles everything from economic development to agreements with sister cities, but he isn鈥檛 working alone.
鈥淭eamwork is so crucial to me as the city manager,鈥 he said, adding that he traces the philosophy back to 澳门六合彩资料库 Davis鈥 collaborative environment. Though he was more focused on individual achievement early on, 鈥渢eamwork was really encouraged鈥 in his major of environmental policy analysis and planning at 澳门六合彩资料库 Davis. And a collaborative spirit is essential in his current position.
Webb became city manager in December, but he鈥檚 not new to city government. He鈥檚 worked for Davis since 1998, with the exception of a brief stint at the city of Placerville. During his time with the city of Davis 鈥 which started as a student internship 鈥 his focus has been on community development, which means he鈥檚 looked at a lot of building plans and permits. Rather than pieces of paper, he said he sees the potential for something tangible 鈥 and impactful.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the tie to the physical world we live in,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou can see, feel and touch the fruits of your labor on a daily basis.鈥
Those projects have been wide-ranging 鈥 from individual home renovations to a 100-acre subdivision dubbed The Cannery and a shopping center on Second Street anchored by Target 鈥 and the variety keeps things interesting, he said.
Working in Davis does bring some unique challenges. Davis residents have high expectations for the city government, he said, citing as evidence the sheer number of city advisory groups for citizens 鈥 nearly 20.
He faces other concerns, like a city budget gap of roughly $8 million. In June Davis voters will decide the fate of a pair of parcel taxes to close about half the gap, with the rest to be made up through economic development and cost-cutting.
He鈥檚 eyeing other improvements, too, like using technology to simplify some of the city鈥檚 operations. For example, when residents install new water heaters, they must come to city hall for permits. He said he鈥檇 like to move that process online.
Webb said he also strives to maintain a strong relationship with 澳门六合彩资料库 Davis. After all, it鈥檚 where he met his wife, Katie (they both worked in the Tercero Residence Halls), and where five of his family members attended. Now his daughter is considering enrolling, but they鈥檙e leaving the decision up to her.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making sure she knows there鈥檚 a whole breadth of options.鈥