You've probably
read about the County Manager debate in the media. Long story short,
I think we are moving to a point where a majority of the Board will,
after lots of hand-holding and assurances, take the leap. Right now,
we are seeking bidders for a salary study for M&C employees (see
below) and the specs for this bid require that a County Manager
position is included in the study. This seems, at this point, the
best way to get through to a result.
There has been some
noise about a County Executive, initially from Republican County
Chair Anthony Casale, and I think this is dangerous. Here's the
important difference: A County Manager is hired by the County Board,
and works at its pleasure. A County Executive is elected. One of
the things that this means – to me, the most important one – is
that the County Board can require a certain level of experience and
training before interviewing candidates for County Manager. Anyone –
literally, any resident of Otsego County – can run for County
Executive. Whoever wins becomes the CEO, so to speak, of a $110
million organization. That should give us all pause.
In addition,
speaking in a partisan capacity, this is a Republican county, and any
Republican candidate would have a big head start. The idea of an
untrained Republican, beholden to the County Committee that got
him/her elected, running our County should also give us pause. In
fairness, I would not like to see the Democratic version, either.
Let's keep party
politics out of the highest levels of County functioning. It's
important to choose a County Manager, and not a County Executive.
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