OVERVIEW
The Village of Lake Orion is a Michigan home rule village that operates under the council/manager form of government. The village government derives its powers from the Michigan Constitution, the Michigan General Law Village Act, the Michigan Home Rule Village Act and the Charter of the Village of Lake Orion. The current village charter and its later amendments were approved by the citizens of the village in 1967 and after.
In a council/manager form of government, the elected village council acts as the legislative and policymaking body of the village responsible for adopting village ordinances (local laws), rules, regulations, and policies for the health, safety, and welfare of the community and for the overall operation of the village government. The Village Manager is the Chief Administrative Officer of the village government, appointed by the village council pursuant to the village charter and an employment agreement. The Village Manager is responsible for implementing the policies of the council and for the efficient and effective operations of the village in accordance with Sections 3.7 and 3.8 of the village charter. He appoints all admnistrative officers of the village, except the Village Clerk and Village Attorney, hires all other employees of the village, prepares the annual municipal budget for council consideration, and administers the budget after its adoption in accordance with Chapter 8 of the village charter. He provides administrative support and advice to the Village Council and all other boards and commissions. The village's organizational chart illustrates the relationship between the village council, Village Manager, departments, and boards and commissions.
In addition to the charter duties of his office, the Village Manager also serves as Zoning Administrator, Purchasing Agent, voting member of the village planning commission, Act 51 Street Administrator, and Title VI Non-Discrimination Compliance Coordinator.
For more information on the council/manager form of government, please take a moment to read ICMA's Council-Manager Form of Government FAQs brochure.
The Village Manager is available by appointment for in-person or virtual meetings Monday through Thursday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM or on Wednesday evenings from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. Please feel free to call to confirm availability and to arrange a convenient time to meet.
ABOUT OUR VILLAGE MANAGER
Village Manager Darwin McClary joined the village's management team on November 28, 2022, after having previously served as Lake Orion's Village Manager from April 2013 until February 2017. Darwin grew up in the Lake Orion area and attended Lake Orion and Oxford schools. He possesses more than 30 years of experience as a city and village manager for several Michigan municipalities. Darwin earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Golden Gate University with high honors and received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Human Services with a concentration in Public Administration with cum laude honors from Siena Heights College.
Darwin is a proud member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), Michigan Municipal Executives (MME), and Michigan Public Employer Labor Relations Association (MPELRA). He believes strongly in personal integrity and professional ethics and adheres strictly to the ICMA Code of Ethics. He also passionately believes in his Organizational Values for Municipal Excellence, principles that the Lake Orion Village Council later adopted in conjunction with the village's vision, mission, values, and goals statements.
Darwin is married to his husband, Steven, and has four sons and two grandsons. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, biking, camping, canoeing/kayaking, swimming, traveling, genealogical research, and ESPECIALLY spending time with his family.