The mayor of Edgewood seems unable to take or understand good counsel when he hears it. Not only this blog, but other citizens and even public officials have cautioned him against trying to push someone into the position of Edgewood Town Administrator without an open announcement and recruitment process. The last time he attempted such, he and his choice for the position were severely embarrassed when the town council rejected his pick.
Now, he has opened the process to his singular choice and is to present a member of the current staff to fill the position of administrator. We have discussed, at length, the danger of hiring or appointing an administrator without full disclosure, an open search and interview process and a true vetting of the candidate in all areas. Interested readers can follow the links below:
Oops! We Had Better Back Off Of That Agenda Item
We Have No Money – We Have Baloney
The position of administrator is an important position that calls for choice arrived at through close scrutiny and honest effort. The mayor will attempt to justify his choice through praise of his nominee. He will try to say that the nominee has been performing the job as administrator AND her present job, that the nominee has agreed to perform her present job in addition to the job of administrator without additional pay, and that the title of administrator will give her the recognition she deserves. While the mayor’s assertions may or may not be true, the job of administrator should be a stand-alone job, and not mixed with another job like a responsibility stew of some sort. The awarding of a position should not be about having an employee feel good because of some perceived recognition; it should be about choosing the best possible choice. The bets are that the salary of the mayor’s choice will be increased at the earliest possible opportunity and performance will suffer when the nominee attempts to perform the responsibilities of both positions.
Let’s see if the Edgewood governing body will get this one right. They have an opportunity to propel this town forward through making sure that this and all actions are completed in the light of day. Speaking of sunshine, I have asked for documents pertaining to the mayor’s, cloudy day; i.e., possible lack of sunshine correspondence or other comunication regarding this matter. Perhaps more will be written regarding this and other issues.
If you are interested in open and honest government and fully vetted employees, you might want to come to the next council meeting at the community center next Wednesday, June 17th to observe or speak to the issues.
