Thursday, May 15, 1997

City needs best city manager we can find

Just when Abilenians were getting used to having a new city manager, we find ourselves once more looking for a replacement.

Lanny Lambert, hired 212 years ago to fill the position vacated by Jim Blagg, caught everyone off guard last week by announcing his sudden resignation. Advertisements are going out to start the application process all over again.

Abilene needs and deserves to have the best city manager we can find. The office requires demonstrated competence in directing a 1,000-person workforce and in dealing with the public. We need someone with an open style of management who is comfortable with doing public business out in public, yet who knows when to balance that with the right kind of moves behind the scenes. The emphasis is definitely on openness.

A conservative town like Abilene needs an administrator who can manage with limited resources. He or she must know how to set priorities in the budgeting process when there are always more demands than dollars. Abilenians don't offer up their taxes willingly, and we expect to get the most out of them. Over the years, the city has established a reputation for providing quality public services at a reasonable cost, and that's the kind of management we will be counting on to continue.

Despite Abilene's less than metropolitan size, a city administrator here must be able to deal with a wide-ranging constituency. Beyond the City Council and city employees, the public here covers the whole spectrum from industrial prospects to neighborhood groups, from educators and business leaders to those whose focus on city services is more narrow. A city manager must be a good listener and listen to all.

Perhaps more than anything else, a city manager for Abilene ought to be a solid team player, not a Lone Ranger.

The council need not be in a rush to replace Lambert. Longtime Assistant City Manager Roy McDaniel is assuming the city manager's duties, and he and Assistant City Manager Mike Morrison know what they're doing. With competent people running departments, good managers throughout the city system and the City Council's direction and vision, we have the luxury of taking the time to find the best person to fill this office.

Abilene is a well-run city. We don't have major problems. The garbage gets picked up and the traffic flows. Our low crime rate gives us statewide bragging rights. The city manager's job should be an attractive position for a qualified man or woman who wants to stay here for a while, instead of just building a resume by stopping through.