Pat Salerno’s recent about-face — accepting Wichita’s offer for the city manager position, signing a contract and then pulling out at the last minute — clearly violates the ethical guidelines of the professional organization to which he belongs, the International City/County Management Association.
According to one of the ICMA tenet guidelines, “Members who accept an appointment to a position should not fail to report for that position,” and “once a bona fide offer of a position has been accepted, that commitment should be honored.”
The ICMA also stresses to applicants, “Don’t say ‘yes’ unless you mean it.”
Simply giving one’s word is seen as a professional commitment, according to Martha Perego, ethics director for the ICMA. (Salerno negotiated and signed a contract.)
The ICMA makes some allowances for extraordinary circumstances in such cases, Perego told The Eagle editorial board, but “it has to be fairly compelling.” She wouldn’t comment specifically on the Salerno case. But she made clear that the ICMA takes its ethics rules seriously; in fact, the organization has a formal hearing process for publicly censuring and even removing members who violate its professional tenets.
This might be one way for Wichita to hold Salerno accountable for his unprofessional conduct. Randy
24 Comments
I suspect all professional organizations have a “code of ethics.” I also suspect these codes follow the same general pattern. I don’t think they are meant to be used as a “bat” to beat on ICMA members such as Pat Salerno in this situation.
Both sides were trying to negotiate in good faith for the Wichita city managers position. Its a tenuous time for both sides to try to determine if there is a match.
In this case, Mr. Salerno evidently found some factors in Wichita not to his liking when he was here with his wife looking for a house. Perhaps it was a remark by a waitress in a local restaurant or by a taxi cab driver. Or by a city council person.
In any case, Mr. Salerno saw a problem and wisely cancelled before it was too late. Better before he got started, than later after he was installed in the position.
So, my advice is move on. Settle the money issues as fairly as possible. After all recruitment costs are a normal part of doing business.
He signed a contract and then changed his mind. He is the one that is going to have to deal with that the next time he tries to find a job. Let’s move on.
He’s probably going to get out of the Public Administration and go into the private sector I suspect.
Maybe Wichita would be better served if they addressed the real problem, the city council. What kind of idiots only interview one applicant and award the job? IMHO, if there’s blame to be placed, it needs to be placed on the city council.
Pat Salerno? If he doesn’t want the job, good riddance.
We’ll never know for sure, but I suspect his family really, really, REALLY hated Wichita.
From a professional standpoint, Salerno’s gig probably was as good a deal as he’d find. But when the family showed up and started looking for houses, neighborhoods, cultural opportunities, friends… Wichita seems pretty arid. Go look at the A Month in the Wild West theme park, the Illegal Abortion Advocates shooting at doctors, the absolute bleak misery of Wichita in the summertime: oppressive heat and humidity seasoned with a constant gritty wind punctuated by severe thunderstorm warnings.
When the best restaurant in town has a drive-up window, you don’t have much of a town.
Big deal. College coaches accept jobs and change their minds all the time. It happens. You sure don’t want a city manager that doesn’t want to be here.
Monkey. You’re all negative. You criticize the community. You aren’t happy here, if you live here at all.
Move.
“outlander” gives me the traditional Wichita welcome –
“Move.”
I did.
Last time I lived in Wichita I was proud to tell my friends “The tallest building in town is a Holiday Inn.”
Apparently, you haven;t lived here in awhile? The tallest building in Kansas (according to wiki) is the epic center which opened in 1989.
Wichita is certainly not Los Angeles, Or San Diego, Or San Fransicsco, or Atlanta. THankfullly. WHile each held it’s charms, I wouldn;t care to live in any of them any longer than I did.
outlander
Posted July 11, 2008 at 8:24 am | Permalink
You aren’t happy here, if you live here at all.
Move.
Excellent advice! Like MH, I moved out of Wichita. Such a dreadful place to live.
So outlander, what’s your point? If you don’t appreciate criticizm of Wichita, leave the blog.
See how that works?
Did everyone read the Randy Scholfield satire in this morning’s paper titled, “Wichita still searching for soul mate”?
Kudos Randy! I laughed and enjoyed your editorial!
“I am the mayor of a medium-sized Midwestern city. We’ve had trouble finding the right city manager. I kept asking myself, Why were all the good ones taken?
Then a friend suggested I look into cHarmony.
At first, I was skeptical. We had never used a dating service before to find a city manager, but I thought, What do we have to lose?
When I took the 29-point, in-depth cHarmony profile, I was surprised at how much I learned about myself and my city.”
http://www.kansas.com/203/story/460330.html
lindainks55
Posted July 11, 2008 at 9:59 am | Permalink
Did everyone read the Randy Scholfield satire in this morning’s paper titled, “Wichita still searching for soul mate”?
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That cracked me up! People who live in Wichita need to never let the city council live this one down.
Yeah, well, Nano, we easily forgot the blue roof on the $200,000 bldg. that camouflaged the water pumping facility had to be replaced because painting it might void the warranty.
A few of us remember, a few of us vote, and maybe some of us who remember also vote.
Maybe the air in Wichita affects our memories. Or, the city limits is a force field for …
Salerno’s decision was a great strike of good luck for the City. The whole idea that we need to bring in an outsier hired gun to straighten out everything about our community is dead wrong. Let Scott Moore do his job for Wichita. I believe that we will be much better served by a man with a vested interest in this city.
Is this that dude that came up here from Miami?
I think he has 90 days to decide if he should stay or go… I know how the guy must feel. I moved back to Wichita and now I hate myself for making such a piss poor decision.
That same Code of Ethics says that city managers and county managers are to stay out of political contests, not taking sides in political races.
Our City and County managers have violated that rule frequently.
The problem with getting a hired gun from out of town to be City Manager is its inherent flaw.
In theory, a “hired gun from out of town” isn’t tainted by local politics, feuds, biases, and prejudice; the hired gun would merely manage the city based on facts.
In practice, every City Manager knows who got him/her hired.
The Council/Manager form of local government came into being because too many people in too many cities saw the downside of a purely political basis for government.
A City Manager’s job is to protect a city from the extremists of its population. Theoretically, the decisions a City Manager makes are above bias, tradition, and politics.
Of course, that’s not always the way it works and (more often) the people don’t like to face the realities of day-to-day governance.
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Nano
Posted July 11, 2008 at 8:49 am | Permalink
outlander
Posted July 11, 2008 at 8:24 am | Permalink
You aren’t happy here, if you live here at all.
Move.
Excellent advice! Like MH, I moved out of Wichita. Such a dreadful place to live.
So outlander, what’s your point? If you don’t appreciate criticizm of Wichita, leave the blog.
See how that works?
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You move out of the area and still post on a Wichita Blog?
Leave the area, leave the blog.
See how that works?
We should get a couple city officials from Las Vegas, then Wichita would be a swingin town!
I contact the Nevada Chamber of Commerce to see where we can send recruitment centers.
Monkeyhawk
Posted July 11, 2008 at 8:34 am | Permalink
“outlander” gives me the traditional Wichita welcome –
“Move.”
I did.
Last time I lived in Wichita I was proud to tell my friends “The tallest building in town is a Holiday Inn.
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Yet another troublemaker who doesn’t live in Wichita, making comments about Wichita.
I thought Kansas whipped all the ruffians from Missouri 150 years ago.
Wait, we did, it was called the Civil War.
“Regular” portrays me as –
“Yet another troublemaker who doesn’t live in Wichita, making comments about Wichita.”
Just how far outside the city limits of Wichita do I have to live to be disqualified from “making comments?
From the Sunrise paper…
“Sunrise facing $9 million budget shortfall”
Things that make you go ‘hmmmmmmmm’.
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Monkeyhawk
Posted July 11, 2008 at 2:02 pm | Permalink
“Regular” portrays me as –
“Yet another troublemaker who doesn’t live in Wichita, making comments about Wichita.”
Just how far outside the city limits of Wichita do I have to live to be disqualified from “making comments?
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For you, just on the other side of a Wichita City limits sign.
Wichita, Kan.
Population: 357,698
State sales tax: 5.3 percent
State income tax: 3.5 percent to 6.45 percent
Climate: Prone to severe weather
Overview
Known as the “Air Capital of the World” for its aircraft manufacturing and aviation enthusiasm, Wichita is ranked as one of the 10 best cities to live in within the United States. Wichita offers year round concerts, award-winning botanical gardens, river festivals and activities, air shows, and, oddly enough, a sizable frisbee golf playing population. Wichita Medical Center is one of many hospitals around the area that provide top health care services. Wichita State University is located within the city limits and provides classes year round.
The tallest building, however, told us not to worry. The area metro has so many different train lines crossing over each other, its really confusing. Tradition from the area was AMAZING.