City Manager

“Oh what a tangled web we weave…” Perhaps that should be the headline after reading this week’s Herald and the revelations that are coming out about our City Managers proposed dismissal. It seems our Council majority is forcing this termination without cause and with no regard to prior agreements. If, in fact this is the case, it begs question after question to which we as citizens do not have answers.

While a “photoshopped” picture of the Council majority dressed up as cartoon characters is certainly juvenile it is not the main story. The real story is what is behind the masks and the overall behavior of the Council majority on a variety of issues ranging from violating working rules, hostile workplace issues, interfering in negotiations and more. But even these items ignore the process that could result in the termination of the City Manager or any other City employee regardless of performance or contract.

If published reports are correct, the City Manager offered or accepted a 28% cut in his overall compensation. It appears that was not enough for this Council. One has to ask, who among us can deal financially with a reduction of that size in our income? Is there a number the Council majority would have accepted? Why did the negotiations stop here at this time with this result?

So what is the reason for the termination? If the termination is not for cause and not for compensation then for what reason? If the Council simply wanted to replace the City Manager, there is a process for that. After all, the City Manager is an “at will” employee of the City. The Council needed to simply tell him that they want to go in another direction, abide by the terms of his contract and move on. It is really quite simple - no cause needed, just the rules of contract law.

So why is the Council majority putting the City through this painful, very public and expensive exercise? It seems any contract savings is being spent on outside attorneys now and through the process that is to follow in the future. Our City Charter expressly states that we have a City Manager, so who is next for the position of City Manager and what will it cost to do a proper executive search to find that person?

What is the process now at the public hearing scheduled for March 6^th on this matter? Do the citizens have a right to comment at the public hearing? Is there to be an open session vote at the end of the public hearing on the termination? If there will be a vote, on what conditions? Would it be to continue with the termination (effective the next day) or to continue negotiations? If a vote is not taken, is the decision already made? If that is so, then when was the action to terminate reported out from the closed session to the public to make it legal?

There are so many questions and so few answers. As I stated earlier, “Oh what a tangled web we weave…”

More later…