City Manager's Office

Following a closed session at its September 7, 2021 Agenda Briefing, Wilmington City Council voted unanimously to name Tony Caudle as City Manager, effective immediately. Caudle has served as Interim City Manager since June 1 and previously served as Wilmington’s Deputy City Manager since 2008.

Prior to his posts in Wilmington, Caudle served as Town Manager for the North Carolina communities of Black Mountain, Wrightsville Beach, and Topsail Beach, and as City Manager of Woodruff, South Carolina. He began his career in public administration in Asheville as a city planner and holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Government

• Wilmington is governed by a non-partisan City Council consisting of a Mayor, Mayor Pro-Tem and five Councilmembers.
• Elections are held every two years.
• The Mayor serves a two-year term and Councilmembers serve staggered four-year terms.
• Wilmington is governed by a Council-Manager form of government - City Council sets the policy and direction; the City Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization.

City Organization

• 16 departments
• Approximately 1,100 employees
• Public safety accounts for almost half of all city staff and 45% of the General Fund.
• City maintains:
  • 400 miles of roads
  • 370 miles of sidewalks
  • 744 acres of parks & athletic facilities
  • 32 Miles of trails

Wilmington's property tax rate for fiscal year 2025 is $0.4225 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Our Mission, Vision, and Values

Vision Statement

We aspire to be a culturally vibrant city, leading the region in economic vitality, safety, and resilience, so that all people can share in greater opportunity, prosperity, and quality of life.

Mission Statement

Through forward-thinking policies and responsible stewardship, we are creating a better city every day with excellent core services and quality of life for all.

Organizational Values

Through the core values of inclusion, creativity, collaboration, and accountability, our workforce pursues its mission to create a better city every day.

Inclusion
We believe that our work and our community are made stronger because of our differences and not in spite of them, and we realize our fullest potential when diverse perspectives pursue shared goals.

Creativity
We recognize that continuous improvement requires curiosity, original problem solving, and a willingness to change the way we’ve done things to deliver better service.

Collaboration
We understand that success is something we achieve together—not alone—and that working as teams across departments and with the community builds trust in our work and our organization.

Accountability
We feel a sense of personal responsibility for our shared work, striving for excellence in what we do and holding ourselves accountable for the results.