It is my pleasure and privilege to serve as City Manager for this wonderful City. I was appointed City Manager of the City of East Point, Georgia, June 1, 2009, and it is with great enthusiasm that I provide leadership for a City on the verge of greatness.
Based upon my observations, conversation with the Mayor, Council, departmental directors and managers, community leaders and corporate citizens, there are certainly many positive things happening in the City of East Point. On the other hand, we also have many significant challenges and opportunities before us in operating the City's government.
During my first full week serving as Interim City Manager when I arrived in August of 2007, I began to walk around and visit our various departments to get a sense of both whom and where we are. As we began to undertake our work together the first few initial months, it has been my intent to be both a resource and a catalyst for excellence in our government. I am asking our elected officials and all of our municipal employees to help us become a City of Excellence. I also ask our residents, business owners and visitors to join us as we become recognized globally as a City of Excellence.
In pursuing excellence in government, I have developed Standards for Public Service Delivery. With the development of Standards for Public Service Delivery, I have introduced Five Strategic Principles that will help guide us. These Five Strategic Principles will be placed in our public buildings for all to see. When you see a municipal employee executing one of the principles (and hopefully all five principles), please let me know. By contrast, when your experience is such that an employee has not demonstrated either principle, I would also like to know that, as well.
Our Five Strategic Principles are:
- Effective Business Management
We pledge to make ethical, cost-effective use of the resources available to us in carrying out our duties.
- Advocacy for The City of East Point
We take pride in working for the City of East Point, value our service to the community and seek opportunities to show it.
- Focus on Employee and Customer Safety
We pledge to value safe working conditions for ourselves, our co-workers and those we serve in the community.
- Excellence In Employee Development
We pledge to continuously pursue professional excellence for ourselves and the City of East Point through fostering service, training, mentoring, coaching, teaming and leadership among all employees.
- Exceptional Customer Service
We pledge to deliver exceptional service to all our customers - internal & external – to continually seek ways to improve our service delivery and to foster a “customer first” mind-set in the City of East Point.
As staff members, each of us in this government, regardless of the roles we perform, make direct service contributions that impact the lives of those we serve, including each other. In examining the actions we take and the decisions we must make daily in the context of doing business with these Five Strategic Principles in mind, I have asked our municipal employees to consider the following question: “Are the actions I am taking and the decisions I am making promoting excellence or mediocrity?”
Being a champion for excellence often equates to being a champion for change. Excellence is not easy. Change is often uncomfortable. As a result of the collective support of these principles, we are already beginning to see a turning point for our great City. Through the efforts of the Mayor, Council and staff, great things are already happening in the City of East Point. We, as staff, can enhance that possibility in how we do business. I challenge all of us, elected officials, municipal staff, residents, business owners and visitors to transform ours into a City of Excellence in Governance.
Some of the most successful cities are those in which government, residents and businesses work together - as a team. The members of our municipal staff are taking the first step towards building a great team.
We are committed to providing these Standards for Public Service Delivery. Please encourage us as you experience the delivery of these services. Please let us know when you do not receive delivery of these services. And, as you let us know, we ask you to let us know with respect. As a team, we do not always have to agree on every single thing, but we should respect each other. This “crown jewel of the Metropolitan area” is surely to become a rare, quality diamond, magnificent in its clear vision, unique character and the brilliance of its success. Please, join our team.
With every good wish,
Crandall O. Jones, ICMA-CM
City Manager