Updated August 16, 2018
By Dominick Casey, City Manager
It’s official. As of the August 15th City Council meeting, I’m now serving as Roseville’s newest city manager.
Having served as acting city manager since April, I’ve had some time for the scope of the job to sink in. I take seriously my responsibility to the 130,000 residents, 1,100 city staff, and thousands more who visit and work in our city every day. It’s a big job that requires significant commitment and resolve. I understand that, and I am committed to it.
What sets Roseville apart
As a government, Roseville provides the broadest array of municipal services in the region. Our staff knows that at every level of the organization and no matter what service they provide, we get the opportunity to make people’s lives better every day.
I’ve seen many communities in my 20-year career in local government, and it’s rare to see the kind of community support and investment you see in Roseville. The difference is that the people set Roseville apart. They care and are willing to act and invest their time and talents to help others.
That is what has helped shape this community into what it is today. I was so impressed that I accepted a position with this city in 2011 and moved here from out of state, knowing it would be a great place to raise our family.
Challenges on the horizon
Though a lot of authority comes with the position, I believe that success requires leadership that is rooted in vision and inspires trust. In this environment, our staff and community work together to maximize opportunities and develop solutions to challenges.
Two of the most critical and timely challenges facing Roseville are the fiscal situation and staff turnover with the ongoing wave of retirements.
First, the budget. There are several things that are outside of our control. On the revenue side, online shopping has taken off. People are buying more services than goods. Both consumer trends have reduced our sales tax revenue.
On the expense side—even after 10 years of budget cuts—expenses continue to rise, putting our quality of life at risk. As a service organization, people are our biggest expense. We’ve taken significant steps in partnership with our labor groups to contain compensation and retirement costs. We still face increasing costs for deferred maintenance, healthcare, minimum wage, unfunded mandates from the state, and the overall increases to the cost of doing business.
Budget projections show revenues will not keep pace with expenses, making it impossible to maintain our current level of services without additional revenue.
The ongoing wave of retirements are a challenge for the city, but also an opportunity. We have as much as 40 percent of our workforce eligible to retire over the next few years. Many of these folks have been with the City for decades and in some cases created the systems we are currently using. Knowledge transfer is key as we train people to meet the demands of the future.
At the same time, we have new staff who bring different thought processes and perspectives, and an openness to new ideas. Our organizational culture will serve our community well as we adapt, evolve, and maximize opportunities that emerge during this period of the most rapid pace of change of the country’s history.
Focus on priorities
As we navigate these challenges, we will continue to focus on City Council priorities such as Public Safety, ensuring we keep crime rates low and provide adequate 911 response times; Economic Development, making Roseville business friendly and ensuring we have the jobs our workforce is equipped to perform in the medical, technology, and other industry sectors; and Utilities, focusing on the strength and fiscal stability of our electric, water, wastewater and solid waste services that provide us with the type of local control that makes Roseville attractive in cost and reliability comparisons.
Roseville is an excellent, desirable community, and my commitment to build that reputation and continue that experience runs deep. It takes a lot of people working together to make that happen. Collectively, we shape the future of Roseville.