Deputy Redux?
The post of deputy city administrator has been a sort of administrative catch-all over the years.
Intended originally to be a kind of ombudsman for the citizens, the title was re-cast during the McWilliams administration as the person in charge of economic development. In one budget document, the Planning Division was placed under the new Office of Economic Development, creating a de facto fourth department in violation of the City Charter.
But that is all water over the dam. In 2006, the Green team chose not to fill the post and economic development matters were placed, with council consent, in the hands of the Union County Improvement Authority, whose executive director happens to be the head of the Union County Democratic Committee.
Now Plaintalker is hearing that the post of deputy city administrator may be filled again.
Can it be that the person brought in from Ohio at public expense to be the new head of Administration & Finance, Health and Social Services may need a different title instead?
Just to backtrack, the hodge-podge of divisions under A&FHSS was the creation of another former mayor, who decided to take health and social services divisions out from under Public Affairs & Safety and put them under Administration & Finance, because the person he had in mind as finance director had a background in social service. The appointee didn’t last long in the post, but the restructuring remained.
If in fact the current administration now sees fit to revive the deputy city administrator job 30 months into a 48-month term, what will the job description be? Will the city fire the UCIA and let the new person manage economic development? Will there be yet another transmogrification of the title’s duties?
Any attempt to back a favored person into a high-paying post that has been vacant for two and a half years must be viewed with alarm by the taxpayers. Keep an eye out for this one.
--Bernice Paglia
Intended originally to be a kind of ombudsman for the citizens, the title was re-cast during the McWilliams administration as the person in charge of economic development. In one budget document, the Planning Division was placed under the new Office of Economic Development, creating a de facto fourth department in violation of the City Charter.
But that is all water over the dam. In 2006, the Green team chose not to fill the post and economic development matters were placed, with council consent, in the hands of the Union County Improvement Authority, whose executive director happens to be the head of the Union County Democratic Committee.
Now Plaintalker is hearing that the post of deputy city administrator may be filled again.
Can it be that the person brought in from Ohio at public expense to be the new head of Administration & Finance, Health and Social Services may need a different title instead?
Just to backtrack, the hodge-podge of divisions under A&FHSS was the creation of another former mayor, who decided to take health and social services divisions out from under Public Affairs & Safety and put them under Administration & Finance, because the person he had in mind as finance director had a background in social service. The appointee didn’t last long in the post, but the restructuring remained.
If in fact the current administration now sees fit to revive the deputy city administrator job 30 months into a 48-month term, what will the job description be? Will the city fire the UCIA and let the new person manage economic development? Will there be yet another transmogrification of the title’s duties?
Any attempt to back a favored person into a high-paying post that has been vacant for two and a half years must be viewed with alarm by the taxpayers. Keep an eye out for this one.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 7:26 AM
2 Comments:
Yes, Bernice,
Mr. Peck is not qualified for his position, so any attempt by the Green/Robinson-Briggs administration to give him this other post should be viewed with suspicion. Also keep in mind that the CITY COUNCIL has the final say. In this case, they should say NO. If they go along with the mayor/Jerry on this one, they can kiss their political dreams and aspirations goodbye. They have rolled over too much for this administration and to give our hard-earned tax money to an out of town individual with no accreditation for the position that he was brought here for (remember the thousands and thousands of dollars in relocation money already given to him??) means that they don't care about the people. This means Burney, Carter, Reid, Storch, Simmons. The other two lame ducks will probably let it slide since they do Jerry Green's bidding anyway.
It is NOT the Council's fault, as managers all over the world say the same thing ..... we need more managers
Post a Comment
<< Home