OCEAN CITY – A proposed reorganization to the city’s pecking order, including the creation of a deputy city manager position, was approved this week by resort officials.
Just a couple months into City Manager Terry McGean’s tenure, it has become apparent his office needs a lighter workload, including fewer direct reports. As it stands now, all 15 of the town’s departments report directly to McGean. Under the proposal presented this week, a deputy city manager position would be created and that individual, among other roles, would have five departments reporting directly to them.
“We originally discussed this during the budget process,” he said. “There has been a realization for a while now that the city manager has too many direct reports.”
There was a time when 23 town departments reported directly to the city manager. That number was reduced when the town’s tourism-related departments were merged under the umbrella of the business and economic development department, according to McGean.
“The council and the previous city manager did an excellent job last year when a number of departments were consolidated in the tourism department,” he said. “Having sat in that chair upstairs for a couple of months, there are still too many direct reports. We now have 15 direct reports plus the city clerk reporting directly to the city manager.”
Who’s nephew will that be?