Mayor Explains Perceived Disagreement in City Government

September 28, 2011

Much has been made, by a few, of my decision to allow the position of Director of Finance and Administration to remain vacant rather than hire a replacement, even on an interim basis. Some see the person in this position as a highly qualified professional and functioning like a City Manager. This view downplays the role and credentials of not only the Mayor but other City Department Heads as well. It is understandable that anyone accepting these assumptions would be concerned that such as vacancy might jeopardize the efficient day-to-day operations of city government. Recruiting an appropriate replacement seems like the logical solution.

I see several problems with this scenario--not the least of which is that there seems to be little agreement, let along consensus, on what would constitute “appropriate.” In fact, opinions on how we should approach this issue going forward range from eliminating this position and reassigning the duties associated with it, to revising the City charter to adopt either a City Manager or even stronger--perhaps a full time Mayor.

There seems to be enduring and significant disagreement between the various components of City leadership – Mayor, Department Heads, Council – on which of these approaches would be in the best long term interests of city residents. Some have even called for us to consider dissolving the city all together… in which case, we would presumable be absorbed by the Town of Cortlandville. This lack of consensus extends to the public at large, as evidenced from a letter to the editor as well as comments made to me by constituents.

One thing on which many people might agree, however, is that differences over the former Director’s role and performance were very detrimental to the smooth functioning of our city government. I believe these disagreements have been a major factor in what I see as growing friction between the Council on one side and myself, as Mayor, and City Department Heads on the other. This tension, in turn, has produced a number of specific problems – and more work for everyone in the process. In fact, Department Heads have become so alienated that they see forming a union as the only way to protect their collective interests from what they believe to be unfair treatment by our elected officials.

No amount of expertise or knowledge can compensate for alienating an entire management team. If there are risks associated with not filling this vacancy, under the circumstances, I believe the risks of doing so prematurely would be far greater. Even if we could agree on a job description and candidate, expecting an outsider to rescue us from our current situation is, I believe, unrealistic.

Rather than yield to the pressure to take a course of action, which I see as imprudent, I have chosen an alternative instead. That alternative is based on a different set of assumptions. First and foremost, it views our current management team – composed of our remaining Department Heads and their Deputies – as a dedicated, hard-working, capable group of professionals with a good deal of training and experience. It recognizes that any high level vacancy produces additional work but values cooperation, mutual respect and team effort over more short-term manpower at their possible expense. It’s based on the demonstrated willingness of our existing management group to take on more work and responsibilities in the near term, which will allow us to take our time exploring options without unnecessary pressure and, hopefully, ultimately choosing one that serves the best interests of city residents in the long term.

In the current situation, I see my role, as Mayor, as providing leadership and direction to our professional management team – while exploring various long-term options – including some that would involve restructuring city government. I’ve just returned from Oneonta – where I met with other officials there as well as representatives from NYCOM and other people with considerable knowledge in this area – as part of this initiative. I’m also in the process of gathering information and opinions from additional sources.

In the meantime, I see working with existing Department Heads as one means of re-examining the duties formerly assigned to the Director of Finance and Administration. If we discover that we’re lacking certain expertise, it may be preferable in the short run to look at hiring consultants for specific projects rather than filling the vacancy – even on an interim basis.

Mayor Susan Feiszli