Troy City Manager Candidate: John Gabor

The following information was taken directly from the candidate's résumé and questionnaire answers, which are available on the City of Troy's website. 

Name: John M. Gabor

Current Position: City Manager, Marine City (since 2007)

Past Positions: Deputy Treasurer, Harrison Township; Global Paint Engineering Group Manager, Ford Motor Company; M.E. Manager, General Motors Corporation.

Current Salary: $72,000

Education: Associate Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology (Macomb Community College); Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Oakland University).

One Major Accomplishment: The rebuilding of the Marine City Police Department into an efficient and well-run organization, overcoming the governing board's sentiment to disband and contract with the sheriff's department.

What experience would you bring to Troy?: "Over the past five years as Marine City Manager, there are several areas that I consider extremely successful. First, I was able to maintain a balanced operating budget each year with a consistently decreasing revenue stream. The loss of revenue in the City was a direct result of property devaluation which is then reflected in the taxes collected. I pride myself on developing new strategies that cut costs while maintaining services. This was accomplished by blending full-time and part-time city employees with partnerships in the private sector. With this being said, I was also able to initiate three major programs without the use of general fund dollars: the new Marine City Streetscape Project, the Downtown Facade Program, and the Downtown Rental Rehab Program. This was accomplished by leveraging TIFA dollars, grant funding, and private investment to transform several buildings in our riverfront downtown while providing energy efficient living spaces with a spectacular view of the river."

Why are you interested in this position?: "I am interested in the City of Troy for both personal rand professional reasons. Professionally, I view the City Manager position as an ideal career move. It offers a new set of challenges and an opportunity to continue to contribute. I have been very successful in applying my private sector management skills set to local government, and I believe Troy will benefit from them. It would also allow my wife and me to remain in an area we love."

How would you handle Troy's divisive political climate?: "I believe that one of the core principles of being an effective manager both in the private or governmental sectors is dealing with an unbalanced governing political environment. The key to managing this atmosphere is to continually bring each group's focus back to what is in the best interest of the organization for success in the immediate and long term future. Marine City has not been without instability. I was hired in September of 1007; in November 2007 the board had a 4 of 7 member turnover. By the spring of 2010 a 6 member recall drive had started, resulting in 5 members being recalled. St. Clair County had to appoint two board members until a special election could be held in February of 2011, at which point 5 new members were elected. During this time of instability, I was still able to achieve all of the items planned in my summary of activities."

To view the candidates' full résumés and questionnaire answers, see the attached document.