THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 11, 1994 TAG: 9409090277
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
A new $63,627 position on the city manager's staff has been touted as an answer to ``fiscal challenges.'' That's baloney!
Spending more money to reorganize and hire new staff, especially in the wake of recent layoffs, is just one more instance of city hall bumbling, one more excuse for officials to say ``wait until next year'' when citizens demand results.
The new chief financial officer probably is a very competent young woman. She probably is very able to produce a pretty budget - especially with the assistance of the city's very experienced financial director, J. Peter Teig, who also earns a handsome salary.
The City Charter clearly states that preparing the budget is one of the primary responsibilities of the city manager; however, City Manager Wayne Orton told City Council that he wanted to be relieved of those duties by hiring a new financial officer.
When council discussed the new position, some members noted that the manager's office has been reorganized a number of times over the past four years.
The most recent reorganization was precipitated by the retirement of Deputy City Manager Roy Cherry. Orton seized the occasion and increased his staff by three positions, including the new chief financial officer.
Every reorganization translates into six months of chaos as workers cope with change. It happens every time any office anywhere changes personnel - and procedures. Work goes on but little moves forward.
It's time for Portsmouth to move. City Hall has been laboring in the chaos of change too often over the past several years.
Orton and other top managers at City Hall are nice people and very capable individuals. But if they can't function together, working openly with other city employees and the citizens of this city, it's time to replace them with a team of people who understand ``The City of the Future'' and who want to get on with moving Portsmouth forward in step with the principles expounded in that plan.
The recent changes in the city's management staff should be the last for this administration. If the new configuration doesn't work, then City Council needs to look at finding new people for the entire top layer at City Hall. by CNB