I've been doing a great deal of thinking about the vacancy left in the City Administrator position since the unexpected passing of T. Michael McDowell earlier this month. Since 2011 Wentzville has been without a City Administrator more than it has had one.
A little history: Wentzville has had a problem with keeping a City Administrator since Andy McCown announced his retirement on January 23rd, 2008. Dianna Wright started June 2nd, 2008 and in an executive session held August 24th, 2011, Alderman Nickolas Guccione made a motion (which passed) to terminate her services. On Thursday August 25th, at 1:30 in the afternoon she was officially fired by Mayor Paul Lambi. Since that time Wentzville has been served by numerous interim City Administrators until the appearance of T. Michael McDowell this past May.
Now, what is happening: Mayor Guccione appoints Chief of Police, Lisa Harrison and it is approved by the board of aldermen. Less than a week after that, Chief Harrison resigns as City Administrator and resumes her duties as Chief of Police. Last Friday, August 16th, Guccione appoints Doug Lee who has been serving as the assistant City Administrator and assistant to the Public Works Director, Susan Mueller. That appointment would need approval of the board, but I've heard that Mr. Lee does not want the job. So what now?
Normally, a vacancy of that sort would fall to the Finance Director but in this case our Finance Director, Jeff Lenk has only been with the city for about two months, so who's next? Director of Planning and Zoning, Mr. Doug Forbeck who has been with the city longer than any Director, Alderman or Mayor, but I don't think he would take it. So here we are, waiting for the company who provided McDowell to present a replacement.
After some deliberation, I've begun thinking about cities around the country who have an all-in-one Mayor/City Manager. Could our Mayor serve as both, and if he could, should he? I know Guccione doesn't have the educational qualifications, but he has served five years on the Board of Aldermen and a year and half as Mayor, he must have learned something. Almost seven years of public service as a legislator and administrator, could he do the job? Personally, I think he should give it a shot, even if it's to prove that he is competent and dissuade beliefs that he should have stayed a butcher at Schnucks. Guccione serving as Mayor/Interim City Administrator would solve a great deal of the problems currently facing the city.
PSS: What do you think?
