Marc Ott, City manager, City of Austin

Marc Ott, City manager, City of Austin

Written by Staff Thursday, 08 May 2008

Q. Why did you want to work for the City of Austin?

A. In my 26 years of public service it has always been my goal to manage a “premier” city - to take a great city and make it known as the best managed city in our country.

Q. How did you end up in city management?

A. I didn’t really start out with this focus. I thought I was going to be a lawyer, but who knew? I was finishing my last year of grad school doing an internship for public sector experience with the city administrator in Michigan, Dale Burgdorf, who over the years has affected my career in positive ways. The internship was really what started it for me. Dale introduced me to his organization in a serious way. More than that, he introduced me to the profession. He took me to a city manager’s conference, their main educational conference, and he introduced me around to city managers who were in very high regard in Michigan and around the country and I looked up to them. He was even so sensitive that one time he made special arrangements for me to have dinner with two African-American city managers, one an assistant city manager, because he wanted me to see the profession from their perspective. There weren’t a whole lot of African-American city managers at that time, and there still aren’t today.
I learned several things from the internship. One: When it came to public service in general at the government level, I liked it. Two: It seemed like I had a bit of a knack for it. But most importantly, I realized what we do at the local government level affects the everyday lives of people from the time they get up in the morning to the time they lie down at night, and even while they sleep we’re still affecting them because of the wide range of services, basic and otherwise, we provide every day. That just seemed profoundly important to me, and I knew, upon that realization, I wanted to be part of that.

Q. What is one of the hardest decisions you’ve had to make in a management role?

A. It’s difficult when I’m not able to provide the things the employees need to do their jobs the way we expect them to do it. When it’s a tough budget year, and we can’t do certain things despite the fact we know they are really needed. The reason it’s difficult for me is because I have a real sense of understanding what they go through to get their jobs done sometimes - things the public doesn’t see and the mayor and council don’t see.
Throughout my career I’ve had days I call ‘manager work days’ or ‘field days,’ and what I’ve done is I pick an operating department and I get assigned to a work group. At the start of the shift, I show up wearing the helmet or work boots or whatever the required equipment so when we talk about streets and the condition of them and about repaving streets, I understand because I know what it’s about, because I’ve been out there and I’ve operated the paver. I know what it feels like to pave a street in 90 degree weather when your citizens are upset because there’s been some sort of problem in the delivery of water because a water pump has failed. I know what it’s like to get one of those back on line because I’ve helped repair a water pump.
So when you’re in physically constrained circumstances and you appreciate how hard our employees work, when you can’t provide and you know the funding is going to remain the same, that’s hard for me.

Q. What have you learned about Austin since becoming a city manager?

A. The importance of parks and green space has been the most refreshing surprise. In no city where I have lived or worked have I seen such passion for the environment and protection of our green space.

Q. What are some Southwest Austin issues you have experienced since coming here?

A. Unfortunately, we’re still only 63 days in. The budget process, meetings and conferences, familiarizing myself with the employees and departments of the city, meeting community and business leaders has been more than a full-time job.

Q. What do you enjoy most about the city?

A. I enjoy the green space, the commitment to diversity inherent in “keeping it weird” and the advanced citizenship that so many of our residents engage in. The level to which citizens participate and expect responsiveness from their government has been a very welcome attribute of our city and something I look forward to being a part of.

Q. What do you do in your free time?

A. I enjoy oils and drawing. I mostly enjoy drawing faces and work primarily in pencil, although I also use pen and ink. I am also an avid listener of jazz.

• Education: Master’s degree in public administration, Oakland University in Michigan, Bachelor’s degree in management with a concentration in economics, Oakland University in Michigan
• Contact Information: 974-2200, www.ci.austin.tx.us/connect/email_marcott.htm

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