As the Wichita City Council makes appointments today to its citizen committee to screen applications for the city manager’s job, here’s hoping members give some thought to ensuring the committee reflects the community and, frankly, the diverse council itself. Last time, in 2004, the 21-member search committee included only one woman. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the top six finalists for the manager’s job were all men. Such panels are a valuable tool for grooming leaders in the community. Their membership should make it clear that all of Wichita has a seat at the table.
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14 Comments
For once Rhonda, I agree on the diversity of the selection panel and the criteria for selection for City Manager.
We already have districts in Wichita (school, council and etc.)
Why not make the panel up representative of that? They could even throw in an “at-large” representative for Sedgwick County, since a lot of communities ‘bump up’ close to Wichita and are directly affected by decisions in the City Manager’s office.
The city manager panel should be made up of those folks most best qualified best to search for a competent manager. Successful business people since that what running a city really is. It should NOT be a Politically Correct group to parade in front of us.
Whoa, I need to read before sending;
The city manager panel should be made up of those folks best qualified to search for a competent manager. Those being successful community and business people, since that is what running a city really is. It should NOT be a Politically Correct group to parade in front of us.
We should just have regular pick the new city manager — he knows eeverything about everything and has plenty of time to tell everyone else how to conduct their lives —- and he never tires —— he already gets about 40-45 k from Uncle Sugar so we can hire him for less — he won’t mind …
Agreed Boxlock. We don’t seem to have any trouble getting racial diversity in our higher public offices in Wichita.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we just put the best people on the search board and we didn’t worry about what color they were? But nooooo. We are forever dividing people into special interest groups based on their sex, or color of skin, or heritage. In an attempt to bring us together?
And my observation still holds true…
99 percent of the comments rendered by the Radical left here are about other posters.
(chortles)
outlander, Posted March 18, 2008 at 7:01 am
“We are forever dividing people into special interest groups based on their sex, or color of skin, or heritage. In an attempt to bring us together?”
Exactly ‘outlander’. And which political party do you see doing that time after time?
I won’t even answer my own question…it’s so obvious.
They should than have some 20-somethings on that panel. I bet the youngest person will be in their 40’s.
Boxlock has it right:
“The city manager panel should be made up of those folks best qualified to search for a competent manager.”
This is not a popularity contest. Unless you are familiar with the in’s and out of the city manager’s roles and responsibilities, the relationship between council/mayor, and the organization chart of City Hall, you would just be fluff on this committee.
In some communities, the city council makes the selection and hires an independent contractor, with experience in HR, to provide the final list of candidates.
It is not a white thing, black thing, hispanic thing. It’s not a man or woman thing.
You should not have more women in the final pool of candidates just because they are women. Only a sexist would argue otherwise.
Boxlock, do not concur.
The “business community” thinks they should have the ONLY voice in any of our city’s affairs. Those of us who have questioned the status quo will have no voice in the process. We, too are Wichitans and ought to have some say in the matter.
That wore thin with most Real Wichitans years ago.
Isn’t it amazing that it took a Conservative Republican to appoint the only labor representative on the last selection committee.
Tom, I’ve been trying to get supporters together for a petition to change our form of city government to strong mayor.
Granted, in the nearly 20 years I’ve lived here, there was only one (possibly) two mayors I would have trusted that kind of power to, but hey, just when you things can’t get any worse in City Hall, they always do.
*just when you THINK things can’t get any worse in City Hall, they always do.
I’d like to see Flentje stay on.