Good Riddance, Rose Says of Chief Complaint

Ari L. NoonanBreaking News, NewsLeave a Comment

Steve Rose

Ten years after the City Charter was heavily amended, the City Council will set about sweeping up the final crumbs from the mess the 2006 Council left.

At this evening’s 7 o’clock meeting in Council Chambers, the divided Council is expected to formally advance a proposed major power shift to the Nov. 8 ballot.
Two weeks ago, on the shaky wings of a 3-2 vote, the Council agreed to proposing a charter change that would shift hiring/firing authority over the police chief and fire chief from the Council to City Manager John Nachbar.

Long overdue, Steve Rose, a 2006 City Councilman who is president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, said this morning.

“It was a political rather than an operational decision to leave power over the two chiefs in the hands of the Council when we were transitioning from a chief administrator form of government to a city manager form of government,” Mr. Rose said this morning.

“In making the changeover, City Hall has become a more efficient, more effective organization.

Mr. Rose said his assertion is verifiable.

“The city manager has power over all department heads (except the two chiefs),” he said. “When we had a chief administrative officer, each department head was hired and fired by the Council.

Mr. Rose’s face wrinkled. “It really was a bad process,” he said.

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