About the City Administration
	The city administrator is appointed by the board of directors and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the city government. The administrator provides the link between the elected governing body and the staff of the city’s 15 departments. All of the city’s department heads report to the city administrator. The city administrator and his staff provide research, analysis and recommendations on policy and service matters to the board of directors; implement the board of directors' decisions; prepare the city's annual budget for review and approval by the board of directors; and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and services offered by the city. The city administrator participates in discussions at board of directors' meetings, but has no vote. The city administrator assists the elected officials with establishing policies and setting service goals. The city administrator is Ray Gosack, the deputy city administrator is Jeff Dingman and the administrative assistant is Wendy Beshears .
	File an FOIA Request As city administrator, I am a firm believer in transparency and openness in government. The City of Fort Smith is eager to comply with Freedom of Information requests, as provided by Arkansas state law. The Arkansas Press Association has an excellent handbook available that makes the law clear for citizens requesting information and for those of us responsible for meeting or exceeding the requirements for complying with the citizen’s request. Paper copies of existing documents are available for inspection and can be reproduced for 25 cents per page. The preferred media for meeting requests for large amounts of documents is CD, DVD, or a jump drive. In many cases, citizens may prefer to simply inspect the documents where they are stored and earmark which, if any, digital or paper documents they wish to take with them. If you have an FOIA request, please contact Wendy Beshears at 479.784.2201 or FOIA@fortsmithar.gov. She will route your request to the appropriate department for fulfillment of your request.   Professional City Management Both our city administrator and deputy city administrator have earned their professional city management designations through the International City/County Management Association, an organization dedicated to promoting an ethical culture in local government. ICMA has launched Life, Well Run to share how professional city and county managers impact lives every day in ways most citizens never even know. This brief video provides a quick introduction to the benefits of a professional government manager involved in local governance.     Our Mission Statement We are a unified team committed to consistently providing citizen-focused services for the advancement of a thriving community.     Our vision is providing World Class Services by: Our Shared Values are... Valuing the contributions of every citizen and employee Being Agile Being Value-Based Being Continuous Learners Integrity Always! Absolute Professionalism!! Accessibility for All!!!
	Organization Structure Administrator Department Responsibility   City Administrator Public Safety - Police Department   Ray Gosack Public Safety - Fire Department     City Clerk     Transit     Finance     Downtown Development     Human Resources     City Prosecutor     Communication Manager         Deputy City Administrator Parks & Recreation   Jeff Dingman Sanitation     Streets & Traffic Control Operations     Utilities     Engineering     Building Safety / Neighborhood Services     Planning / CDBG     Information & Technology Services (ITS)     Geographical Information Systems (GIS)