Local government always seems to attract the attention of the local media, if not the general public. The Wichita City Council has hired the fourth City Manager in six years. After firing two because they couldn’t control them, they hired a college professor in the interim to keep the ship from sinking while they looked for a new victim. I mean, candidate.
Even though a search committee recommended several prospective choices, the City Council only interviewed one. And the next day they hired him. Really. His name is Patrick Salerno, most recently the fired City Manager of Sunrise, Florida.
He looks like a tough guy, and he’ll have to be. His first job is to convince the rest of us why he’s worth two-hundred and fifteen thousand dollars a year, plus expenses. Probably his second, and most important job will be to find a way to manage a multi-million dollar budget that is effectively held hostage by seven people who often let their personalities get in the way of working together.
So far, we haven’t heard if Salerno’s bringing anyone from his former management team from Florida up to Wichita. I’m guessing he’ll need a collections expert, an enforcer, and someone to hide the bodies. Sounds like an episode of Miami Vice…..or maybe “Get Shorty”.
