It has been a busy, interesting, and generally pleasant three weeks since November 4. Challenging, too, although that term will forevermore be qualified in my mind with the follow-up thought, "at least you're not running in heels from street corner to street corner breathing exhaust fumes while waving at motorists". That was challenging on the days with freezing rain or 96 degree sun. Now, I'm working hard to finish up my campaign, restore order in my email inbox and housekeeping at home, and prepare for beginning life as a Portland City Commissioner on January 2.
"Challenging" in today's context is how to define the skills and experience needed for Staff Representative jobs in my office, when I have very limited information on what bureaus Mayor-elect Adams may assign me, or even when he will announce his decision. The days are moving by, and I want to cast a wide net in posting job openings, to solicit applications from a very broad range of highly-qualified candidates.
Staff Representatives work in assigned policy areas; serve as liaison to assigned bureaus; plan, organize, manage, facilitate and coordinate policy-related projects or programs; and research and respond to day to day constituent inquiries. Each Staff Representative may be in charge of projects or programs that require coordinating with a number of City bureaus, other agencies, and/or community members. It can be a highly specialized job, done best with some previous experience in the services provided by assigned bureaus.
I thought about all thirty-some bureaus, agencies, and commissions I will need to keep informed about in January, either as Commissioner-in-charge or in a liaison capacity, and decided they can be grouped into three major areas conceptually. Today, City staff and my volunteers helped me send out announcements soliciting applications for Staff Representatives serving as my Community Specialist, Development Specialist, and Environmental Specialist. The Job Posting with detailed descriptions of desired experience and potential assignments in those three issue areas is here.
AmandsFritz.com blog readers are cordially invited to apply, and or to direct qualified, interested colleagues to the posting. Please ask questions using the email address/phone number indicated in the notice, rather than posting them here.
It is already clear to me that there will be many, many more wonderful applicants than there are jobs available.
Amanda, I'd like to be your
Today's business and
Just out of curiosity, what
Good question. I thought it
Good question. I thought it would be fairly simple - "Hi, Commissioner-elect, you can have x staff and you pay them y". In fact, each Commissioner's office gets an allocation which is a lump sum dollar amount, including all the other stuff an office needs like paper and such. Each Commissioner's staff job category has a broad range for salary scale -- so I could have more staff, and pay each less, or fewer and pay more. Then benefits are calculated at 35% for the purpose of figuring out how many staff fit into the budget at the salaries assigned (actual benefit cost may be less if the employee doesn't need health care coverage for an entire family, or doesn't need it at all due to another family member having coverge).
And then throw into the mix that some bureaus fund staff who reside in the Commissioners' offices. And interns. And part-time staff. And staff on special projects. So there are ways to increase the number of staff -- for those Commissioners fortunate enough to know what bureaus they're in charge of, anyway. The simple answer to your question, Steve, is that there is a dollar amount rather than a head count - and some wiggle room even after that.
It gets even more complicated with next year's budget starting in July, which is calculated by adding for inflation, then cutting 5% in line with Mayor-elect Sam's call for all city agencies to propose such reductions.
So that leads to the next
Sorry for my delayed
Sorry for my delayed response, Steve. I wasn't ignoring you, I've simply had to prioritize my time to get things done. January 1 seems to be rolling around remarkably quickly. Since you asked the question on December 5, I've read over 300 application letters and resumes, and interviewed nearly 30 people for my staff representative jobs. I plan to make an announcement next week to tell you about the great people who will be working with me. Many more wonderful folks applied, and it was a new challenge to have to choose. Community organizers hardly ever say no to a volunteer who wants to help. I feel very blessed to have been offered such splendid options for staff to work with me.
My office budget, for staff, supplies, rent and interagency agreements, and everything else, is $368,950 for January - June 2009. The City's fiscal year runs July to June. I assume that is the same amount for all Commissioners. I don't know how much the Mayor's office budget is. Come January, I will have staff to help find out answers to questions, so if you're still interested, come to my Commissioner's site when it goes up.