When it comes to big news about politics, taxes or regulations, it's Asheville's elected officials on City Council who often get the attention.

The single most important person in municipal government is actually someone not chosen by voters.

The city manager, hired by Council, usually holds the job for years longer than council members. And as Asheville's CEO, it's the city manager who has her or his hands on the levers of daily operations, overseeing department heads in areas such as police, firefighting and water, and reporting directly to the council. 

Here's details on the job of running Western North Carolina's biggest city:

Council + manager

Asheville uses the council-manager form of local government where council members are elected to make policy and establish a vision for the city. They hire the city manager to carry out the policy and work with the manager to update programs. They also have the power to fire the manager.

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What's the city manager salary?

Council members are considered part-time and make between $16,000 and $22,340, depending on position. But the full-time city manager gets about 10 times that. Debra Campbell's salary at $220,000. Her predecessor, Gary Jackson, made $195,000 when he left the city.

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Who is the city manager's boss? 

The city manager oversees more than 1,000 employees, hiring department heads, including the chief of police, the chief financial officer and the director of water resources, a $40 million operation by itself.

How does the city manager affect the budget?

While the city has a CFO, it's the city manager who in the end is responsible for recommending Asheville's annual budget to the council. This year amounts to $181 million in planned spending on everything from water services to greenways.

What is the city manager's role with taxes?

An important part of the budget is property taxes and it's the city manager who recommends the annual property tax rate, which like the budget is approved by the council.

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