Think of the city manager as the CEO of an organization who reports to a board of directors—a city council. The city manager is appointed by a city council to oversee the city’s day-to-day operations and works to implement, administer and enforce polices, initiatives and ordinances adopted by the council. In addition to managing city services and ensuring effective customer service, a city manager is responsible for preparing an annual budget and a capital improvements plan that is submitted to the council for consideration. New Braunfels City Manager Robert Camareno has been on the job since 2013 after serving as assistant city manager since 2008. He was born and raised in New Braunfels and has worked in municipal government for more than 20 years. “There aren’t very many people who get to manage their hometown, so it’s an honor, but it’s also very humbling to me to be helping to improve the city and working to positively impact peoples’ lives on a daily basis,” he said. Camareno manages the city’s $190 million annual budget and is responsible for 625 employees in 13 departments. His favorite part of the job, he said, is interacting with city staff and community residents. "We get the opportunity to do that in all of the public meetings we hold, and I enjoy doing that," he said. Prior to coming on board with the city, Camareno served as the Buda city manager. He said he was glad to begin working in New Braunfels, where his parents still live in the house he grew up in. “They also keep every newspaper clipping that has my name on it,” he said. “It means a lot to me that they do that. I hope that I make them proud.”