City Manager's Monthly Report
Annual Report
Mission Statement
The mission of the City Manager’s Office is to provide the citizens of Sanford with efficient and effective services that meet their needs and to deliver them in a friendly and courteous manner. To manage and direct all activities of City government in a manner consistent with the City Charter, Code of Ordinances, and as directed by the Mayor and City Commissioners.
Role of City Manager
As the Mayor and City Commissioners serve on a part-time basis, they hire a full-time professional city manager who serves as the chief administrative officer (CAO) for the city government. The City Manager’s duties and responsibilities consist of running the day-to-day operations of the city. This particular position is similar to that of a chief executive officer (CEO) in the private sector. However, instead of reporting to a Board of Directors, the City Manager reports to the elected body, the City Commission.
The City Manager is responsible for the administration and management of the budget, as well as all internal personnel matters, including hiring and/or removal of all city personnel.
In addition, the City Manager assists with developing and establishing community-wide goals and objectives to ensure that the community’s best interest are always considered in the decision-making process. The City Manager also acts as a liaison to other municipalities as well as other local, state, and federal agencies.
The City Manager is a politically neutral position. It is also their duty and responsibility to be an advocate and a strong proponent for philanthropic and social services that provide an added benefit to the residents of Sanford. This includes, but is not limited to, the attendance at public functions and activities. The City Manager’s office is a community resource for all individuals who reside and conduct business within Sanford’s municipal boundaries.
City Manager
Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr. has served as the City Manager of Sanford, Florida since September 2011. As the city’s chief administrative officer, he is responsible for overseeing all city operations, which includes a $324 million budget, and over 540 employees.
Prior to Sanford, Mr. Bonaparte served as the city manager of Topeka, Kansas; Plainfield, New Jersey; Camden, New Jersey; Willingboro, New Jersey and Glenarden, Maryland.
Mr. Bonaparte is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and has earned its Credentialed Manager designation. He currently serves as the Chairman of the University of Central Florida’s School of Public Administration Advisory Board and is a member of the HCA Lake Monroe Hospital Board of Trustees and the Central Florida Public Media Board of Trustees. In addition, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Sanford Regional Chamber of Commerce. He was the president of the Tri-County League of Cities, a Board member (Vice Chairman) of the National Academy of Public Administration, the Florida City and County Management Association, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and the Sanford Rotary Club.
Mr. Bonaparte has been elected president of both the New Jersey Municipal Management Association and the Maryland City/County Management Association and was a board member of the Florida City and County Management Association and the Kansas Association of City/County Management.
Mr. Bonaparte has been a speaker at numerous city management conferences throughout the United States and China, and has authored articles that have appeared in the International City/County Management Association’s PM Magazine and the American Society for Public Administration’s PA Times. He has taught graduate public management courses at Rutgers University and undergraduate courses in management at National-Louis University’s School of Management and Business. He has served as a principal instructor for the University of Kansas’ Emerging Leaders Academy and is a guest speaker at the University of Central Florida’s School of Public Administration.
Mr. Bonaparte holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, a Master of Public Administration from Cornell University’s Graduate School of Business and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.
Assistant City Manager
Mr. Radzak holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration with a minor in Health Sciences. His higher education includes a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a Graduate Certificate in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Central Florida. Craig Radzak is a full member of the International City/County Management Association and the Florida City and County Management Association.
City Manager Form of Government
ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide. The organization’s mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build better communities.