At the Commission meeting the other night, CM Bob Baldwin said that we should hire someone with City Management experience and that we should hire a headhunter to find that person.
I would like to see us hire the best city administrator in the country. I don’t care the price. We are in serious need of someone who can manage. However, how do you really know who the right person is? Resumes and references are one thing but I have always said that you don’t know what someone is truly about until you sign on the dotted line. Not all caterpillars transform into butterflies just as not all city managers are effective or meet our expectations. There are always surprises and things occur that we never expected, not in a million years.
I don’t necessarily believe that the next city manager we hire has to have city management experience. He should, however, live in this city. We hired Paul Boyer, right? We hired Bob Baldwin who has never really wanted to be our city manager. Perhaps we should consider thinking out of the box.
There are many effective people right here living in our City who could handle this job. I say look closer to home. Give a one year contract with the right not to renew or give out an exorbitant severance package. Listen to the citizens in what they want as a City Manager. You did not do that last time.
