SB hires Reno's Charles McNeely as next city manager
By Andrew Edwards
Staff Writer
SAN BERNARDINO -- The City Council voted Thursday evening to appoint Reno City Manager Charles McNeely to the city's top administrative post.
"It is an opportunity for me to come to a community that has unprecedented opportunities, challenges, but unprecedented opportunities," McNeely said while addressing the council after their vote.
The council voted 5-0 in closed session to hire McNeely. However, Councilwoman Wendy McCammack abstained from approving his contract in public session, saying she was concerned about the amount of McNeely's compensation in light of recent efforts to obtain pay concessions from city employees.
The incoming city manager's contract sets his salary at $275,000 per year, minus a 10 percent giveback.
McNeely takes the job as San Bernardino's city government cuts back on staffing and services in the face of shrinking tax revenues. San Bernardino officials have also sought across-the-board pay concessions of 10 percent for police, fire and general employees and managers.
McCammack said McNeely's deal also includes $73,000 in other perks, such as $15,000 in relocation assistance. She also said that her abstention was meant as a show of support to city employees, not a criticism of McNeely's abilities.
Mayor Pat Morris responded to McCammack's concerns by pointing out that McNeely's salary and deferred compensation will be lower than several other nearby cities with smaller populations, such as Victorville, Fontana and Ontario.
But those on the dais spent more time Thursday welcoming McNeely to San Bernardino than debating dollars.
McNeely is scheduled to begin working in San Bernardino on June 1. He said he wants to work out a way to start earlier, but his contract with Reno requires him to give 60 days' notice before leaving.
He said one of his first tasks will be to meet with city Finance Director Barbara Pachon and build an understanding of San Bernardino's finances. He plans to prepare for a fairly long recession.
"I don't think this is going to turn around tomorrow. I think we're going to be in it for a year or two," McNeely said after the meeting.
He also outlined economic revitalization, public safety and recreational services as key priorities.
"I'm really a person who's very committed to making sure we have very strong recreational, library and art programs," he said.
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Well, if he considers grafitti art then he is coming to the right place!!!
Maybe he should be more worried about focusing on two blocks of street lights that have been out for more than a month, pot holes that are never filled, cracked sidewalks that aren't replaced, and city run swimmming pools that will be unused as we waste money on Operation Phoenix centers that do nothing.....
and the summer months are coming - so the murder rate will be rising....has anyone noticed the increase in shootings in the city since the weather has gotten warmer?!?
Cal,
Wake up! Its a new day in San Berdoo. McNeely is a turnaround specialist. Go on-line and look at what Reno has done. McNeely has been running that city for 10 years. He is very good at what he does. You may got the problems but he's got the answers.
To: Reno's Loss....
As long as this city has Mayor Morris and his flunkies on the council - and they know who they are - this city is doomed.....
McNeely does what the Mayor and majority vote on the council tells them to do - that is why this city is in the toilet, so maybe you should wake up....the harsh reality is that this city is in big trouble until the voters in this city get the problems off the dias in the council chambers.....
To all you doubting “Thomas’s” I ask for you to give it (or him, our new City Mgr) some time please. He is walking into a plateful of issues, concerns, and problems that await him and he may or may not realize their magnitude. He now has to find a place to live, settle his family (should he have one). Once that is behind him, think about what is in store for him. He must come with experience as a bridge-builder cause there are several bridges to build and others to shore up. He must fully understand what “tools” are in his tool box so he knows what he has to work with. He must watch the City Leadership Team (elected and non-elected) in action to identify any weak links that are present. He must know or realize this is an election year and several “key” positions are up for grabs. (That constitutes instability). He must fully understand the City budget issues and the NEW 2010 budget is due July 01 (90 days away). He must learn what steps were taken to fund the City for 2009. He must quickly become a team builder to get the City Leadership Team working together (for a change) on all issues, large and small. He must demonstrate countless other skills quickly to gain the trust and confidence of the entire leadership team to include department heads so they will support some of the tuff decisions that he will soon have to make if he is to turn the City around and redirect its path away from the abyss to which it is now headed.
This man was hired NOT to be a politician but he will have to have stellar diplomatic skills. He will have to lead, not drive a City where the rudder has been ineffective. The dynamics of the City and this position will not allow him to slowly ease into his new job. He must hit the ground running and will need help from everyone to overcome the tremendous learning curve he will be under. In short, he must not get winded easily or quickly.
Now sit back and each and everyone take stock of what this man has to do. It will be easy to sit along the sidelines and cast judgment. It will be just as easy to sit and do nothing and let him stumble as he is learning. It will be much harder to respect him and the position he now holds and offer assistance or council (requested or not) allowing him to be up to full speed in the shortest time possible and become effective in his position.
Lastly, for those who take issue with the salary this (super) man was offered. Ask yourself these few questions: Could YOU do the job…better? Would you do the job, knowing what you “think” it entails? For what is ahead for him to master, his compensation in my book is correct, remembering you get EXACTLY what you pay for. As a City, as concerned citizens or city employees lets try to give this new City Manager as much help and support as possible because when you understand the overall scope of his position, he works for each of us. We need success stories now as the failures are behind us and the rebuild has begun. He should adopt the motto of:
“Lead, follow or get out of the way”!
Reader Bob,
You speak volumes of good naturedness and patence, to help the new guy out ( if he ask for it or not!)
BRAVO!!!
If you don't think the mayor, elected officials and staff , can't wait to get their teeth into this new guy first, before any one else can get to him; you would have to be sitting on a Rainbow tossing pink petals, over the waste heap.
He probably has only a slight or less than complete idea of the "Shark pit" he will be swimming in soon. I don't know what they offered him for salary, but I saw what he got from Reno and that was way over this city's head!( Budget).
You are right, we need success stories, but... the failures are going to be with us for a long time and the Mayor will see to that!
I just hope this guy has a business head and will tell the big spenders, that they have to back off, get more "Bang for the Buck" spent and stop the proverbial "hand-outs" and get back to basics in running a city. One of the council advocated 4 basics in city responsibilities. What were they? I can't remember, because of the probably 200+ non-basics the city hands out at your expense.
When Prop Z came about, so did all the "Begging Hands" from all the organizations coming out of the walls,asking for some of the pie , meant for more cops! It just never stops. Maybe he can push back the give aways by telling the elected officials, "It just isn't there to spend"!
Basics first, maintenance and promotions, hand outs and " downtown beautification Black Hole" ( recycled for the "n" time) last!
Yes R.Bob, I could have done a better job than Wilson on my worst day. At least Mark gave it a decent try. Mr. McNeeley (sp), I really hope he can do the job, as this will be either " a career wrecker or; his shinning moment"! I hope for the latter!
To ST said;
Great feedback. Many thanks!! I think in our own way, we are saying the same thing...sorta. SB now has the opportunity to rebuild and shine. However, please note what I said in my note, that is “You get what you pay for”. In SB, the form of government less the extinguished Mayor, is PART TIME. Each Councilmember serves two masters. Their primary master is the one that pays their bills, feeds their families and provides a roof and transportation to highlight a few. This master is their primary JOB. The second master is the City of SB and the citizens/voters of which they are minimally compensated for the time they devote. Again, you or “we” get what we pay for!
Now that said, at first glance we SB seem to have attracted a professional manager who comes to SB very experienced. As such, I would bet he is also NOT thin skinned and I bet he will not bruise easily. If he did, he would never have reached the positions he has held for as long as he has held them. He deserves all and as much support from all levels as much as possible. No doubt, with the next year’s budget looming 90 days out and the pain SB experienced for the 2009 budget, his honeymoon with the leadership of the City will be short lived. I would hope he is aware and up to the task.
About You Sir doing the job as City Mgr, you should have thrown your hat into the ring, who knows, stranger things have happened in SB, take the Mayor’s position for example (for the last 10+ years). Out doing Mr. Wilson perhaps but I made no mention of past Mgr’s performance. That was not by mistake. It is water under the bridge, and we need only to learn from the mistakes that were made…and there were plenty.
I fully concur that the City’s money management WAS out of control. Expenditures of funds you don’t have and the frequency to move money from (intended) project /program is ineffective and hoodwinks the public. They may try to say it is creative management but I call it robbing Peter to pay Paul. Again, we champion the same cause and compliment our common goal, what is best for the City and citizens of SB.
I know you will circle the wagons of your associates as I will mine in support of Mr. McNeely to ensure he not only gets off to a positive start but also to show him the community is behind him as he embarks on a very formidable tasks of rebuilding and running the behind the scenes requirements of a City steeped in prolonged controversy. He will need assistance not criticism, encouragement not apathy.
Remember, he is a professional at what he does, let’s let him do what he does best. I am sure he can handle the Mayor, the Mayor’s son, his son’s son, and his uncle too. And don’t forget…it is an election year and soon the long list of accomplishments will abound only to be matched by promises that will never be kept, and were they meant to be. It is called politics at its best in good old downtown SB!