EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY Township Superintendent Buena Vista Charter Township
Township Superintendent BUENA VISTA CHARTER TOWNSHIP Buena Vista Charter Township, located in Saginaw County, Michigan, strives to be a safe, progressive, diverse community where families and businesses live, work and play. The Township Board of Trustees is the legislative body, equivalent to the council in city government. The voting members of this seven member board are the Township Supervisor, Clerk, Treasurer and four Trustees. The Township Board of Trustees is elected at large for four year terms. The Township Board is responsible for the appointment of the township superintendent and is seeking to appoint their next township superintendent. The township is seeking an experienced manager with exemplary leadership skills; strong interpersonal skills; and experience working in a team environment. Buena Vista Charter Township is a full service township with a budget of $5,690,000; and 54 full-time and part-time employees. Buena Vista Charter Township will offer a competitive compensation package which will include a starting salary within the range of $74,000 to $84,000 depending on qualifications and experience. POPULATION 8,676 SIZE 36.2 SQ MI BUDGET $5.7 MILLION SALARY RANGE $74,000 - $84,000 2
THE COMMUNITY Buena Vista Charter Township, part of the Saginaw Valley, lies in Saginaw County, Michigan. Saginaw County is 814 square miles of rich agricultural land, woodlands and waterways. Thanks to the area's convenient location on Interstate 75 it contains five primary tourist areas Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Saginaw City and Saginaw Township - all within a short commute of Buena Vista Charter Township Although the majority of Buena Vista is utilized for agriculture (72%), the Township has a strong industrial base that provides regional employment and a suburban residential character west of I-75. The Township is working closely with the Buena Vista Downtown Development Authority to redevelop the former Fort Saginaw Mall site as mixed-use commercial. The site has been reborn as Buena Vista Town Center and today is an open field, highlighted by the new Town Green Streetscape, and is ripe for new construction and new life. Buena Vista has direct access to I-75/US-23, I-675, M-81, M-46, and M-13. These highways link Buena Vista to Saginaw, Bay City, Midland, Flint, Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Detroit. Residents can take a day trip and visit nearby recreation opportunities, or visitors can stop in Buena Vista on their way to northern Michigan. Buena Vista Township has two township parks and a community center. The parks have baseball diamonds, basketball courts, and picnic areas. The Buena Vista Community Center contains a multipurpose gym with walking track, a weight room, fitness room, a swimming pool and whirlpool, changing room and a multipurpose meeting room available for rent. The nearby Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge includes 9,400 acres with 12 miles of hiking, cross-country skiing and bike trails. The Wilderness Trails Zoo is a 56-acre park with over 60 species of animals, picnic grounds, petting area and play area. The William H. Haithco Recreation Area provides a swimming beach, paddleboat rentals, sailboard beach, volleyball courts, fishing dock, children's play area, five picnic pavilions and concession stand. The 11-mile long Saginaw Valley Rail Trail, is a linear county park open to the public year round and is a serene place for hiking, bicycling, jogging, walking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and nature study. Cost of living in the tri-counties is among the most reasonable in the USA. Nationwide s Health of Housing Markets (HoHM) Report for Q2 of 2016 listed the Saginaw-Bay-Midland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as having the nation s second most healthy housing market. The area s strong economy also sustains a diverse range of employment opportunities. 3
Buena Vista Charter Township is home to a number of the region s main employers, from Nexteer Automotive (formerly Delphi) to Duro-Last Roofing, Stevens Van Lines and a Federal Express shipping facility. The Township s prime location along I-75 and I-675 makes it the gateway to the up north and thumb regions of Michigan. 4
THE ORGANIZATION Buena Vista Charter Township is a Charter Township by State Statute. Under State law, the supervisor, treasurer and clerk have duties and responsibility pursuant to state law. The township is a full service township with departments and services provided in the areas of public safety, public works, water, sewer, assessing, finance personnel and labor relations. 5
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE Required qualifications for the position include a Bachelor s degree in public administration, business administration, finance or a related field. A Master s degree in Public Administration is desired. The candidate shall have five years of increasingly, responsible senior management experience in municipal government or other governmental agencies. The candidate shall also have experience in economic development; information technology; three years experience in personnel and labor relations; budget and finance; grants; intergovernmental relations; supervision and organizational development. The ideal candidate shall also be customer service oriented; experience with community engagement; experience working in diverse communities; being visible in the community; and excellent oral and written communication skills. Experience working in the State of Michigan is also desired, but not required. The ideal candidate shall be a visionary, a problem solver and possess the ability to build positive relationships with the public, the township board and employees. 6
OPPORTUNITIES The next Township Superintendent will be able to take advantage of opportunities to: Expand communication through the use of social media/ website Establish and implement Economic Development plan Nurture and expand relations with neighboring City of Saginaw Continue to provide excellent public services CHALLENGES While the next Township Superintendent will have many opportunities, there are some challenges. These include: Address blight issues in certain areas of the township Provide a long term solution to having a grocery store in the township Provide consistent strong leadership 7
APPLICATION PROCESS APPLY BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS APRIL 28, 2017 Please submit resume, cover letter, salary history, consent form, and five professional references to: execsearch@mml.org, Subject Line: Buena Vista Charter Township Superintendent Search OR mail to: Michigan Municipal League, ATTN: Buena Vista Charter Township Search, 1675 Green Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Questions can be directed to MML Executive Recruiter Joyce Parker at jparker@mml.org or (734-730-9526 Candidates desiring confidentiality of their interest, as allowed for and provided by Michigan law, must indicate such in a separate subject line above the body of the cover letter. This search is conducted by an Equal Opportunity Employer. 8