As current City Manager Greg Lewis’ retirement approaches, the search for our next City Manager is underway. The Mercer Group has been retained to assist us in our search and has created the attached Recruitment Brochure to best inform potential candidates. As instructed in the brochure, interested applicants should apply directly to James L. Mercer, President/CEO of The Mercer Group, Inc.

2. This is an outstanding opportunity for a seasoned
management professional to live, to work and to raise a
family in a vibrant, micropolitan community located in
western New Hampshire. The highly engaged City Council is
seeking an experienced city manager to continue Lebanon’s
development as one of the nation’s best places to live.
INTRODUCTION
This Profile is intended for use as a resource in the search for
the City of Lebanon’s next City Manager, both to provide
prospective candidates with key information and to provide
a framework for discussions between individuals involved in
the search process and prospective candidates.
Much information is provided herein but candidates are
encouraged to learn more about the City of Lebanon on its
website: http://www.lebnh.net and are also encouraged to
get more information at http://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/
products/documents/upper-valley-onthemap.pdf
LOCATION
The City of Lebanon encompasses approximately 40 square
miles and is situated in the southwest corner of Grafton County
on New Hampshire’s western border with Vermont. The
Connecticut River, New England’s longest river, runs adjacent to
the City and separates the two states. Lebanon is at the
crossroads of two important interstate highways: I-89 (NH/VT,
with 4 exits in Lebanon) and I-91 (VT). These highways link
Lebanon with the major cities of New Hampshire and Vermont,
as well as Boston, New York and Montreal. Boston is 2 hours
away by vehicle or 45 minutes by air; you can drive to New
York in 4 hours or fly and arrive in mid-town Manhattan in 2-1/2
hours after a limo ride from White Plains; Montreal is a 3-1/2
hour drive, or you can travel by Amtrak's Vermonter out of White
River Junction, VT (Lebanon's neighbor across the river). The
Vermonter will also take you south as far as Washington, DC.
The White Mountains can be seen from vantage points in
Lebanon, lakes and rivers abound, and the skiing nearby is
among the best in the Northeast.
HISTORY
Early settlement in the region was concentrated beside the
Connecticut River in what is now West Lebanon, and in the
Mascoma Lake region near Enfield. Lebanon’s original
charter was adopted in 1761. In the mid-1800s, a mill
district developed along the Mascoma River between West
Lebanon and Enfield, and at various times the district
supported furniture mills, a tannery, woolen textile mills, a
clothing factory, and several machine shops. This district
attracted many French-speaking workers from Quebec and
became Lebanon center, while West Lebanon developed
into a railroad hub. As in many New England mill towns,
these industries and the railroad declined in the 1950s and
1960s. Lebanon incorporated as a city in 1958. In, 1964,
the city center suffered a catastrophic fire that destroyed a
large portion of downtown. An urban renewal project
resulted in a new pedestrian district locally known as “The
Mall,” which replaced the area destroyed by fire adjacent
to Colburn Park, the heart of Lebanon’s central business
district. The City then set about recreating itself, and
embarked on a sustained process of commercial
development and economic revitalization.
While Lebanon still has a friendly feel and architectural
appearance of a small New England town, it serves as the
commercial hub of the “Upper Valley,” a region that includes
approximately 170,000 people (both from New Hampshire
and Vermont) serving needs that range from employment to
retail shopping to first-rate health care.
LEBANON IN 2015
There is a strong desire on the part of the City Council and
residents to better shape and control their future and not just
continue to have it happen to them. Citizen engagement efforts
are at an all time high. The most recent City Manager instituted
a Citizens Academy (http://academy.lebnh.net) that provides
interested residents with an in-depth opportunity to learn about
City government and issues. This program has been well
received and, along with many other outreach programs, has
resulted in a better informed citizenry.
Economic vitality, excellent planning and communications remain
in the forefront for the City, as both of its historic central downtown
LEBANON – AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY

3. business districts are targeted for continued revitalization in the
current Master Plan. More than 2M sq. ft. of private commercial
and industrial development space has been approved by the
Lebanon Planning Board over the past 5 years. There are also two
growing commercial corridors with plenty of retail and restaurant
opportunities. Implementation of smart growth principles, mixed
use urban design, sustainability, resiliency, and preservation of a
quality community life will be instrumental as this growth begins to
be realized.
The City’s Planning Department webpage contains a significant
amount of useful information that candidates will find very helpful
in better understanding the City, including the City’s Master Plan, at
http://planning.lebnh.net.
DEMOGRAPHICS, BUSINESS,
EMPLOYMENT & CULTURE
In relation to the economy of the Nation and the State of New
Hampshire in general, Lebanon fares well in terms of income, age,
and the unemployment rate. In 2012 the median household
income was $54,628 and the median age was 39. The
unemployment rate is just over 2%, well below the state and
national averages.
The City’s resident population hovers around 13,500, but its
estimated daytime population is nearly 35,000 with regional
residents entering the City to work, shop, eat, visit doctors, dentists,
banks, exercise facilities, and friends and family. The nature of the
City’s largest employers create a transient resident population
(staying three to five years on average) which presents a challenge
when trying to balance the needs and interests of the more transient
residents (and daytime population) with the desire of long-time
residents to maintain the character and beauty of Lebanon as a
small town in New England.
The City’s largest employer is the renowned Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Medical Center (DHMC) and affiliated Geisel School of Medicine.
DHMC is the largest medical facility north of Boston and is New
Hampshire’s only academic medical center. Lebanon also has an
excellent community hospital (Alice Peck Day) with two affiliated
senior facilities that provide independent and assisted living.
Dartmouth College is located in the adjacent town of Hanover but
employs many Lebanon residents. There are many high-tech and
advanced manufacturing firms and research and development
companies in the City. “Centerra” is the City’s first mixed-use,
industrial-based “Planned Business Park.” It is home to firms such as
Luminescent Systems, Adimab, Ansys/Fluent, and TomTom.
Outside of Centerra, Lebanon is home-base for companies such as
Hypertherm, Timken Aerospace, Woodstock Soapstone, and
Mascoma Corp., and houses branch locations for companies such
as Fuji Film/Diamtix and Novo Nordisk.
The region provides a range of cultural opportunities not typically
found in rural areas. The 800 seat theatre in City Hall is operated
by the non-profit Lebanon Opera House and hosts a variety of
national and local performances including the professional Opera
North. The AVA Gallery and Art Center is also located in
downtown Lebanon. Dartmouth’s Hopkins Center and Hood
Museum of Art attract world class shows and exhibits. Our
neighbors to the east (Enfield) and west (White River Junction) each
host professional theatres (Shaker Bridge Theatre and Northern
Stage), while Enfield is also home to the Shaker Museum and
White River is home of the Center for Cartoon Studies.
GOVERNANCE MODEL AND
ORGANIZATIONAL
STRUCTURE
The City of Lebanon operates under a City Charter and a Council-
Manager form of government. The City Manager is the chief
executive and administrative officer, appointed by and reporting to
a nine-member City Council. Council members serve for staggered
two-year terms, and annual municipal elections are held in March.
Once seated, the Council appoints one of its members to serve as
Mayor. The Mayor works with the City Manager to set meeting
agendas, chairs Council meetings and engages in public
ceremonial duties. All work of the Council is officially done by the
body as a whole. The City Manager takes part in discussion of all
matters coming before the Council, but does not vote.
The City has a workforce of 175 full-time equivalents, of which 118
are represented by one of four unions. Police employees are
represented by the NEPBA; public works employees by AFSCME;
firefighters by the IAFF; and administrative staff by the Lebanon
Professional, Administrative, and Salaried Employees (LPASE), a
Teamsters affiliate. At the direction of the City Council, the current
City Manager successfully renegotiated all four agreements and all
four will expire in 2016.
The following departments report to the City Manager:
• Police • Fire & EMS
• Public Works • Planning & Zoning
• Finance • Office of the City Clerk
• Assessing • Human Services
• Recreation • Library
• Airport • Human Resources

4. The Lebanon School District is governed independently from the
rest of City government. The District is overseen by a 13-member
elected School Board and a Superintendent. Its annual budget is
approximately $40M. More information about the District can be
obtained at http://www.sau88.net.
CURRENT VACANCY IN THE
OFFICE OF POLICE CHIEF
The next City Manager will be recruiting and hiring a Police
Chief. The position vacancy arose out of the Police Chief’s
announced retirement this year. The Police Department has a
history of choosing its leaders from within the agency. Hiring for
this position to carry on the tradition of excellent leadership will be
a challenge and an opportunity. The Mercer Group will be
heading up this recruitment effort.
CITY BUDGET
The City operates on a calendar fiscal year. The annual budget is
adopted by the City Council in December. The budget for FY
2015 is approximately $50.2M, including general operations,
water treatment and distribution, sewage collection and disposal,
solid waste disposal, and municipal airport services and activities,
plus capital improvements. Taxes, including property taxes,
account for about 40% of total City revenues. Fees, licenses and
permits generate about 36%; another 20% comes from the
proceeds from issuance of long-term debt (for capital improvements
only) and inter-fund transfers; and the balance derives from State
aid, a few grants and miscellaneous revenues. New Hampshire
has no general sales tax or general income tax (taxing only
interest, dividends, and some income of business owners) and
struggles to balance its budget, so the revenue sharing portion of
aid to municipalities has been curtailed since 2009.
The General Fund makes up 51% of total revenues; Capital
Improvements Fund 26%; Sewage Collection and Disposal 9.6%;
Water Treatment and Distribution 6%; Solid Waste Disposal Fund
5.4%; Municipal Airport Fund 1.7%; and Emergency
Management Fund 0.1%. The 2014 total property tax rate was
$26.27 per $1,000 of assessed value. Broken down, the City’s
portion ($9.07 per $1,000) was 37% of the total tax rate; the
local school portion was 47%; the state school-funding portion
was another 10%; and the County portion was 6%. The
estimated 2015 Municipal Tax Rate is $10.04 per $1,000, a
$0.34 or 3.5% increase over 2014.
The City's debt load is carefully controlled, and bonds are issued
through the New Hampshire Municipal Bond Bank utilizing the
State's rate, so the City itself has no bond rating.
The City’s budget can be reviewed here:
http://manager.lebnh.net/home/manager-docs/budget.
CHALLENGES,
OPPORTUNITIES,
EXPECTATIONS, AND
INITIATIVES
A set of Guiding Principles were adopted by the Lebanon City
Council on March 19, 2010 (amended on March 4, 2015) and
set the course for the future of government decision making in
Lebanon. Operating under the core of these Principles, the next
City Manager must:
• Build on the existing foundation – sustain the improved
alignment and publically praised level of customer service,
community interaction and Council effort
• Continue in earnest relationship-building efforts with the
community at-large – including Citizens Academy,
walkabouts, social media presence and real time
communications
• Support excellent planning – sustain the focus for
implementation of the 2030 Master Plan
“All actions and policies of
the government of the City
of Lebanon shall, first and
foremost, benefit the
current residents of the
City of Lebanon.”
City of Lebanon Guiding
Principle #1

5. • Develop, guide the process and implement a comprehensive
Airport Master Plan
• Further develop and budget for desired outcomes – continue
the joint partnership with the City Council to develop outcome
based goals and tracking of those outcomes
• Continue to build regional collaborations - to enhance
Lebanon’s position and to benefit the city’s citizens
• Implement deliverables of 2015 Position Analysis Study
• Plan for succession in city departments
• Uniformly negotiate collective bargaining agreements
• Continue to improve workplace culture
• Strategize future capital improvement needs
• Work to sustain the efforts in place to create a shared sense of
place and destination
• Continue transforming the words of the Guiding Principles and
Principles for Sustainability into action
For additional information on the details of these Guiding Principles
and separate Principles for Sustainability, please contact Jim at
jmercer@mercergroupinc.com
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
NEXT CITY MANAGER
The City Manager job description provides detailed information
about the duties, responsibilities, education, experience, skills and
abilities required. In addition to the specifications in the job
description, the ideal candidate for City Manager would also have
the following professional and personal attributes:
• A Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, preferably a Master’s
Degree or equivalent advanced degree, such as a Juris Doctor
(J.D.)
• Ability to build relationships with the City Council, employees,
and diverse community constituencies.
• Ability to partner with the City Council and others in creating,
communicating, and implementing realistic and attainable
short and long-term goals for the City.
• Ability to attract and retain City employees, creating loyalty
and motivating superior performance.
• Creativity in solving complex problems and balancing
competing needs while moving the City in a forward direction.
• An energetic, forthright, resilient, flexible and positive
personality.
• A willingness to take a reasonable amount of risk and
acknowledge errors or mistakes.
• A willingness to commit to the City for a significant
period of time.
• An ambassador and advocate for the City with other
communities, businesses, governmental officials and others.
• A fair-minded and ethical person in his/her professional and
personal life.
• A good sense of humor and understanding of people.
• An appreciation and respect for the diversity of Lebanon’s
community, cultural values and political views.
• ICMA membership or willingness/ability to become an ICMA
member upon hire.
• Demonstrated proactive planning skills
• Ability to continue implementing the current Lebanon Master
Plan
• Demonstrated skills in coalition-building, including a
willingness to:
• Reach out to and foster relationships among residents,
businesses, community groups, and other stakeholders.
• Continue to address neighborhood concerns through
“walkabouts” and community conversations.
• Continue building public-private partnerships, including
commitment to making the Economic Vitality Exchange
working group successful.
• Understanding and interest in local human services and not-
for-profit organizations
• Commitment to supporting public/private partnerships such as
those established through Friends of Lebanon Recreation and
Parks and the Lebanon Public Libraries Foundation
• A willingness to address transportation planning including the
Mascoma Greenway
• Demonstration of experience and understanding of the need
for resiliency in face of community challenges, such as those
posed by natural or man-made disasters.
• Commitment to maintaining and improving local government
communication and public engagement.
• Understanding for and support of the use of emerging
technology to better processes and procedures.
• Commitment to continuing and making citizen engagement
efforts such as the City’s Citizens Academy successful
• Demonstration of expertise and skills in providing background
and data to inform the Council’s discretion, promote Council
excellence in policy setting, and facilitate more efficient and
effective governance.

6. SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE
The next City Manager will be paid commensurate with his or her experience and
qualifications, in keeping with the overall salary structure of the City of Lebanon. In
addition, the City of Lebanon offers a substantial employer retirement contribution and an
outstanding package of fringe benefits. A contract, with an appropriate performance
review, will be negotiated with the successful candidate. The most recent City Manager’s
salary was $130,000 with a monthly vehicle allowance of $600. The City currently
contributes 10.77% towards retirement, which will increase to 11.17%, effective July 1,
2015. Current contract language permits the City Manager to participate in the NH
Retirement System or to enroll in the ICMA Retirement Corporation Section 457 Deferred
Compensation or 401 Retirement Savings Plans.
Please note that the City Charter requires the City Manager to reside within the City of
Lebanon.
APPLICATION PROCESS
This position is open until filled. First review of candidates will occur on June 15, 2015.
Confidential resumes should be sent by close of business on June 15, 2015 to:
James L. Mercer, President/CEO
The Mercer Group, Inc.
5579B Chamblee Dunwoody Road, #511
Atlanta, GA 30338
VOICE: 770-551-0403
FAX: 770-399-9749
E-Mail: jmercer@mercergroupinc.com
Website: www.mercergroupinc.com
The City of Lebanon is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The City of Lebanon does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, sexual
orientation, age, marital status, national origin, political ideas or disability in
employment or in the provision of services.