Aiken City Manager John C. Klimm will address the Tuesday March 28, 2017 Aiken Republican Club Luncheon, which begins with a social hour at 11:00 am.
Mr. Klimm, 60, was unanimously chosen as Aiken’s new City Manager at the regular City Council session Monday, April 27, 2015 after a thorough six-month search. Klimm came to Aiken after more than thirty years of experience in the field of public administration and public service. His professional career includes positions as city manager and town administrator, chamber business liaison, regional housing director, state legislator, assessor and college professor in his home state of Massachusetts and in Rhode Island.
Klimm holds a Master in public administration degree from Bridgewater State University and a Bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Boston College. Klimm’s previous experience also includes working as an adjunct professor at Suffolk University, Quinsigamond Community College and the University of Massachusetts. Klimm previously served a three-year contract as the town administrator of Portsmouth, Rhode Island, population 17,000, from 2012 through mid-April, 2015.
The City of Aiken operates under the Council-Manager form of government, an organizational framework which has grown widely in popularity since its inception in the 1910’s. Aiken first approved the Council-Manager form of government in 1955, and subsequent changes to the state legislation in the early 1970’s mirrored the City of Aiken’s Council-Manager Plan.
Under the Council-Manager Plan, the City Council serves as the Board of Directors for the city, with the Mayor acting as Chief Executive Officer. City Council sets policy guiding the city’s growth, development, and future. The City Manager serves as the Chief Administrative Officer, much like the President of a corporation. Under this role, the City Manager is responsible for daily operations, including hiring and firing of all employees, as well as the efficient and effective use of funds approved by the City Council through the annual budget
