Ken Chandler assumed the position of City Manager of Portsmouth, Virginia on July 30, 2007.  Portsmouth is 30-square miles, with a population of 101,000, and is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan region of Virginia.  The City employees 2,000 FTE with an annual budget of $ 560 Million of which 74% is from real estate tax. However, only 50% of Portsmouth’s land is taxable because of the unusually high presence of federal and state governments’ and over 250 churches.  

What characteristics do you attribute to a strong team? Collaboration continues to be Portsmouth’s hallmark uniting ordinary people towards a common vision for extraordinary service to the citizens of Portsmouth.  To build a strong team we must have employees with high levels of expertise, individual integrity, independent thinkers and loyalty.  Our motto is Together Everyone Achieves More--TEAM.  

Our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) consists of the my direct reports: Police Chief, Fire Chief, Chief Financial Officer, two Deputy City Managers, Economic Development Director, Marketing and Communications Director, and the Director of Public Utilities. We meet twice a month to ask ourselves:

1. What are the global issues of the City?
2. What do we need to do to move the City forward?

Egos are left at the door which enables us to work collectively toward realistic solutions.  I see my role is to shepherd the meetings, and to watch and listen to the talent at the table.  

What qualities and characteristics do you look for in individual team members?
Individual Integrity is essential; if team members don’t display integrity then their loyalty is a concern for me.  

Recently, we hired a new Deputy City Manager and a new Director of Utilities. Both have executive insight and we learn from each other.   They continue to help me grow as a City Manager and challenge my thinking.  

When looking for team members it is important to have a piece of the pie carved out for them.  The City Council developed the vision and action plan to move Portsmouth forward.  

This includes three main initiatives:

1. Destination Portsmouth
2. Biennial Budgeting
3. Budgeting for Outcomes

We have the right people in place to steer Council’s initiatives and I see my job as make sure they have the tools and resources to be successful.   

How do you continue to develop and build teams that are moving the City forward? In Portsmouth we practice self-development.  We do this through various channels including leadership training through the Senior  Executive Institute at the University of Virginia, ICMA, and VLGMA (Virginia Local Government Managers Association).   We continue to recognize and hire employees with high levels of expertise, individual integrity, independent thinkers and those that are loyal which I believe contributes to the continued advancement of Portsmouth’s vision.  

Portsmouth’s Initiatives

1. Destination Portsmouth. From Portsmouth City Council’s vision came Destination 2025 – the award winning Comprehensive Plan for the City. This document is Portsmouth’s strong vision statement that directly reflects the values, aspirations and priorities expressed by citizens during an extensive two-year planning process. This vision has laid the framework for the City’s future and the foundation with over $1 billion investment in new development projects throughout the city. Destination Portsmouth is a Series of Adopted Development Strategies, Plans and Initiatives which will implement the 2025 vision by proactively planning for our continued renaissance and completing the ground work necessary to make Portsmouth the Destination of Choice.

2. Biennial Budgeting. A Biennial budget is for two individual, discreet fiscal years. City Council will adopt the appropriations and tax rate for the first year, while the second year is used for long-term planning. Biennial budgeting helps to provide a comprehensive assessment of future budgetary risks and such a long-term plan is favored by the credit rating agencies. Other benefits of the Biennial budgeting process include: enhanced succession and contingency planning; effective information and management systems; targeted and well-defined economic development strategies; timely disclosure of material impact events; and, regular economic and revenue reviews to proactively identify potential problems.

3. Budgeting for Outcomes. Budgeting for Outcomes is a process designed to create a government that works better and costs less. Traditional budgeting involves a process that starts with predetermined maximum spending limits and focuses on what is allowed to be spent, as opposed to what resources are needed. Budgeting for Outcomes focuses on results and priorities, not on cost. The budget process shifts from paying for costs to buying results. It puts citizens and priorities first. It emphasizes accountability, innovation and partnerships.