As the administrative head of city government, the city manager is appointed by the City Council to enforce municipal laws, direct daily operations of the City, make recommendations to the Council, prepare and observe the municipal budget, appoint and supervise all City department heads and employees, and supervise the operation of all City departments. The city manager is responsible for implementing policies adopted by the City Council, preparing and submitting the annual budget, and administering the day-to-day operations of the City.

Like most cities in California, Sierra Madre is a general law city run under the “council-manager” form of government. A general law city is one which operates under laws and rules established by the State of California. The council-manager form of government is similar to that of a private company’s board of directors and CEO. The council-manager form is the system of local government that combines the strong political leadership of elected officials in the form of a council or other governing body, with the strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. This establishes a representative system where all power is concentrated in the elected council who then hires a professionally trained manager to oversee the delivery of public services.

Michael Bruckner is currently serving as City Manager. Mr. Bruckner brings more than 15 years of progressive leadership experience in municipal government, most recently serving as Assistant City Manager for the City of Culver City, California.

Throughout his public service career, Mr. Bruckner has been recognized for his innovative leadership, strategic vision, and strong commitment to community engagement. He has led efforts to improve operational performance, modernize city systems, and build meaningful partnerships with stakeholders across sectors. His areas of expertise include budget and financial management, service delivery optimization, and policy and program development.

Mr. Bruckner holds a Master’s degree in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Sonoma State University. Some of his accomplishments include developing Culver City’s Homeless Services reporting dashboard, streamlining internal city processes related to hiring and emergency preparedness, coordinating several successful municipal ballot initiatives, and acting as a regional liaison on key intergovernmental issues.

Disclosure of Enterprise System Information - SB 272