Boulder City has tapped an internal candidate for its new Deputy City Manager role, selecting Michael Mays, the city's Community Development Director, for the position. Mays has been a part of the Boulder City team for eight years and has filled the role of Acting City Manager on two separate occasions, showing a continuity of leadership and a commitment to the community he serves.
Mays, whose selection was detailed in a news release published by Boulder City, is stepping into the role immediately. City Manager Ned Thomas, who himself only started in April of this year, decided Mays was the right fit after conducting multiple panel interviews with a slate of qualified candidates. "I appreciated Michael’s willingness to serve in this capacity to ensure a smooth transition within the City Manager's Office," Thomas stated in the release. "Given his in-depth knowledge of the City and its employees, I am confident Michael will continue to serve the City well." Despite the highly competitive field, Mays was seen as the strongest contender.
Bringing over 30 years of municipal planning expertise, Mays moved to Boulder City from Illinois back in September 2017 and has since played a pivotal role in the community, including navigating the city through the closing stages of the pandemic and contributing significantly to historic preservation and economic development initiatives. A Master’s degree holder in Community and Regional Planning and a certified member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, Mays adds substantial academic and vocational experience to the Deputy City Manager position.
Michael Mays is also a member of the Boulder City Sunrise Rotary Club and a board member of the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, demonstrating his active civic engagement. "I am humbled and honored to be selected as Deputy City Manager and excited to serve the community permanently in this new position," Mays told the Boulder City press release. He, his wife Jackie, and their children have embedded themselves in the city, contributing to and reinforcing the link between government leadership and community belonging.
The Deputy City Manager role was established in 2024 to assist the City Manager in overseeing operations, program implementations, and the realisation of Council priorities. While this key role remained vacant for a period, Mays’s appointment signifies a keen interest in stability and internal promotion within Boulder City’s leadership structure.
