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By Kevin Johnson
Mayor of Sacramento
When it comes to hiring our next city manager, Sacramento deserves the best and brightest. This means dynamic leadership, bold new ideas, a willingness to take risks, and a track record of solving problems and getting results.
Having reviewed the pool of applicants in our latest search for a new city manager, I am disappointed to report the water has not run as deep as I would have hoped.
It’s not surprising. We will soon hire our fifth city manager in less than six years. Bob Thomas gave way to Ray Kerridge, who resigned last year and was replaced by Gus Vina, who quit earlier this year. Most recently, former city manager Bill Edgar has stepped in as interim and admirably guided us through the difficult budget process.
A revolving door in your city manager’s office is nothing to brag about.
There are obvious problems with perpetual city manager searches. Leadership suffers and morale drops among city employees. Projects get delayed or sidetracked because staff lacks direction. Challenging problems go unaddressed. Businesses and residents grow frustrated by the instability and uncertainty.
Outside Sacramento, the community garners a negative reputation. The small number of applicants for the job demonstrates our city’s diminished status. By comparison, Mesa, Arizona, a bedroom community of Phoenix, drew far more interest when its city manager job opened.
This should not be the case in the capital city of California.
Stable, dynamic and creative leadership can change our image, and that’s the opportunity we should have presented to the management recruiting world.
It's imperative that our next city manager have the managerial competence to ensure a steady hand at the wheel. But we need so much more from our chief executive. The right up-and-coming city manager, one with fresh ideas and both public and private sector experience, could build a national reputation by taking Sacramento to the next level.
From all accounts, that’s not going to happen. The selection process took place behind closed doors, with no public input. Multiple candidates lacked even the minimum levels of experience established by the council.
Such is the reality we face. And it’s only one Mayor’s perspective. I realize the majority of my City Council colleagues have a different vision for the city and the type of leader we need.
I respect those differences, and will fully respect our collective decision. The next city manager will absolutely have my full and total support.
But lest we forget: great cities require great leadership. For Sacramento to truly reach its potential, residents must demand high expectations and accountability from the people who lead the city we all love.
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