Click this link to optimize Speak Up San Mateo! for screen readers Skip to Content
Speak Up San Mateo!
Opengov

San Mateo is preparing to hire a new City Manager. What characteristics do you want this new leader to have and what should be their top priorities for San Mateo?

31 registered responses


How important are these characteristics in a City Manager? (1=not important, 5=very important)

A good communicator and facilitator
Response Percent Response Count
3 3.2% 1
4 16.1% 5
5 80.6% 25
Visionary and forward thinking
Response Percent Response Count
2 3.2% 1
3 12.9% 4
4 22.6% 7
5 61.3% 19
Respectful of traditions
Response Percent Response Count
1 19.4% 6
2 29.0% 9
3 25.8% 8
4 9.7% 3
5 16.1% 5
Approachable and accessible
Response Percent Response Count
1 3.2% 1
3 6.5% 2
4 38.7% 12
5 51.6% 16
Deliberative
Response Percent Response Count
1 3.2% 1
3 25.8% 8
4 41.9% 13
5 29.0% 9
Collaborative
Response Percent Response Count
3 12.9% 4
4 32.3% 10
5 54.8% 17
Willing to take risks
Response Percent Response Count
1 9.7% 3
2 6.5% 2
3 16.1% 5
4 25.8% 8
5 41.9% 13
Measured and prudent
Response Percent Response Count
2 12.9% 4
3 54.8% 17
4 16.1% 5
5 16.1% 5
Mission/values alignment
Response Percent Response Count
2 6.5% 2
3 22.6% 7
4 32.3% 10
5 38.7% 12
Strong leadership capabilities
Response Percent Response Count
3 16.1% 5
4 22.6% 7
5 61.3% 19

What other characteristics do you think the Council should look for in our next City Manager?

Answered
25
Skipped
6

What type of experience do you think is most important for our next City Manager to have? Pick up to three.

Response Percent Response Count
Experience with economic development 16.1% 5
Experience with municipal finance and budgeting 29.0% 9
Experience with strategic/long-range planning 51.6% 16
Experience with managed growth in cities 51.6% 16
Experience with multi-modal transportation in cities 45.2% 14
Experience with HR matters and people management 12.9% 4
Experience working in the Bay Area 9.7% 3
Experience with advancing diversity, equity, inclusivity 38.7% 12
Other 22.6% 7

What are the most important priorities for the next City Manager to focus on during their first year? (pick up to 3)

Response Percent Response Count
Improving infrastructure 64.5% 20
City budget & financial stability 22.6% 7
Housing affordability and homelessness 64.5% 20
Public safety 19.4% 6
Economic vitality 19.4% 6
Community services such as the library, parks, etc. 35.5% 11
Attentive to the needs of the entire community 32.3% 10
Other 29.0% 9

Time and money are limited. You've got 10 dots to 'spend'. On what do you think the next City Manager should spend their time improving?

Response Percent Response Count
Fiscal sustainability 8.1% 25
Public Safety 5.5% 17
Infrastructure 13.2% 41
Relieving traffic 4.2% 13
Housing affordability 18.1% 56
Economic development 5.8% 18
Community services 7.4% 23
Safe streets for all users 16.5% 51
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan implementation 16.5% 51
Other 2.3% 7

What would you like potential candidates to know about our community that may not be apparent when researching or visiting San Mateo?

Answered
24
Skipped
7

Do you have any additional feedback for the City Council regarding an ideal City Manager candidate?

Answered
20
Skipped
11

Which of the following describes your connection to the City of San Mateo? (select one)

Response Percent Response Count
Live in San Mateo 44.8% 13
Live and work in San Mateo 55.2% 16

What is your age group? (select one)

Response Percent Response Count
Under 18 years 6.9% 2
25-40 years 34.5% 10
41-64 years 41.4% 12
65+ years 17.2% 5

What is your race or ethnicity?

Response Percent Response Count
White 85.7% 24
Asian / Pacific Islander 14.3% 4
Owen Day inside City Boundary
April 7, 2023, 3:51 PM
  • How important are these characteristics in a City Manager? (1=not important, 5=very important)
    • A good communicator and facilitator - 5
    • Visionary and forward thinking - 5
    • Respectful of traditions - 2
    • Approachable and accessible - 5
    • Deliberative - 4
    • Collaborative - 3
    • Willing to take risks - 5
    • Measured and prudent - 4
    • Mission/values alignment - 5
    • Strong leadership capabilities - 5
  • What other characteristics do you think the Council should look for in our next City Manager?

    I think the City Manager should be someone who has a vision for the future of San Mateo that promotes equity and diversity, and an all around better city for everyone, not just the longtime residents.

  • What type of experience do you think is most important for our next City Manager to have? Pick up to three.
    • Experience with economic development
    • Experience with managed growth in cities
    • Experience with advancing diversity, equity, inclusivity
  • What are the most important priorities for the next City Manager to focus on during their first year? (pick up to 3)
    • Improving infrastructure
    • Housing affordability and homelessness
    • Attentive to the needs of the entire community
  • Time and money are limited. You've got 10 dots to 'spend'. On what do you think the next City Manager should spend their time improving?
    • Fiscal sustainability (1)
    • Infrastructure (1)
    • Housing affordability (4)
    • Community services (2)
    • Sustainability and Climate Action Plan implementation (2)
  • What would you like potential candidates to know about our community that may not be apparent when researching or visiting San Mateo?

    We are in the middle of a housing affordability crisis, that if not addressed could cause real problems for low income residents of San Mateo. It is important that our new City Manager is committed to finding effective solutions to make San Mateo a more affordable city.

  • Do you have any additional feedback for the City Council regarding an ideal City Manager candidate?
    No response.
  • Which of the following describes your connection to the City of San Mateo? (select one)
    • Live in San Mateo
  • What is your age group? (select one)
    • Under 18 years
  • What is your race or ethnicity?
    • White
Speak Up San Mateo! is not a certified voting system or ballot box. As with any public comment process, participation in Speak Up San Mateo! is voluntary. The responses in this record are not necessarily representative of the whole population, nor do they reflect the opinions of any government agency or elected officials.

Your answers will NOT be saved

This is the form that was used to collect responses. It's here so you can try it and see how it worked when the topic was open.

The topic is now closed, and anything you enter into this form will not be saved.

Sign in and be yourself

Sign in and let others know who you are and what you think. You can sign in now or after you submit your response. You'll be able to read your response on this website and change it if you change your mind.

Read more about privacy >

Sign in and be someone

Sign in and let others know what you think. Only OpenGov will know who you are. You can sign in now or after you submit your response. You'll be able to read your response on this website and change it if you change your mind.

Read more about privacy >
* required

Be anonymous

Even though your response will be shared with staff, it won’t be shown on this public website so other community members won’t have the opportunity to see it.

Concerned about sharing your contact information with OpenGov?

Read more about privacy >

Read more about privacy >

Speak Up San Mateo! has two participation channels:

  • The Registered Channel: Sign in before or just after you submit your response. Either way, Community Feedback will show your response on this website.
  • The Unregistered Channel: Don't sign in and remain anonymous. Community Feedback will just share your response with San Mateo staff.

Note: The first time you sign in, you'll need to register (establish an account on Speak Up San Mateo!). Registration is free.

The City of San Mateo has contracted with Community Feedback to monitor responses shown on this website.

  • To prevent any single user from dominating the forum, the City of San Mateo restricts the number of responses any one user can post on selected topics. Registration helps Community Feedback enforce this restriction.
  • Users, staff and government leaders often want to know the neighborhood from which a response is posted. Community Feedback uses registration to show the neighborhood next to each response (not the address).
  • If a user posts a response that does not meet the City of San Mateo guidelines for civility, Community Feedback uses the user's email address to invite the user to resolve the issue.

Community Feedback will get your contact information. The company is under contract with the City of San Mateo to hold it in strict confidence per their privacy policy.

  • Since you'll see your own response on Speak Up San Mateo!, you'll be able to confirm that your response was posted as you intended.
  • You'll be able to change and/or delete your response as long as the topic is open.

Yes. Sign out, then set your privacy preference to be "No - just show it without my name to staff". You won't need to register.

While no authentication procedure can perfectly detect every fraudulent registration, Community Feedback is able to secure the registered channel against systematic fraud: cases where users submit enough statements with fraudulent registrations to sway the overall interpretation of the feedback.

Community Feedback is unable to secure the unregistered channel against systematic fraud, because unregistered users are anonymous.

Neither the registered nor the unregistered channel represent a certified voting system or ballot box - and that caveat is footnoted on every page of feedback. Instead, both are additional channels for feedback to government.

Users can participate on the registered channel (by signing in) or on the unregistered channel (by remaining anonymous). The City of San Mateo offers both channels in order to broaden participation and maximize decision makers' insights.

The registered channel enables users to assure decision makers that their feedback comes from a real person in a specific neighborhood. It also enables users to participate in a public discussion on the website, as well as manage their own response after posting it.

The unregistered channel is for users who want to provide quick feedback without registering, and/or whose privacy concerns would prevent them from participating if required to register. Because many users with valuable insights will only share them anonymously, this channel gives decision makers the option to consider those insights in their deliberations.

OpenGov is a non-partisan company whose mission is to broaden civic engagement and build public trust in government. The City of San Mateo has contracted with OpenGov to administer Speak Up San Mateo!.

The job of a City Manager is demanding. What type of personaility characteristics and experience do you think are most important for our next leader?


1
2
3
4
5
A good communicator and facilitator
Visionary and forward thinking
Respectful of traditions
Approachable and accessible
Deliberative
Collaborative
Willing to take risks
Measured and prudent
Mission/values alignment
Strong leadership capabilities
Choose at most 3 options
Check out our guidelines for civility
Back to Intro