Finding the right city manager

Jim Prosser's departure from the city manager's post in Cedar Rapids leaves Mayor Ron Corbett and the City Council with a high-impact decision to make.

The city is facing a critical stretch on numerous fronts, from rebuilding and revamping flooded public facilities to making a case for federal flood protection funding. The next city manager will play a significant role in setting a course on a number of those big issues. That's why the hiring process that's taking shape now is so important.

Corbett has put the process in the hands of the council's personnel committee, including Mayor Pro Tem Monica Vernon and council members Justin Shields, Don Karr and Chuck Swore and city Human Resources Director Conni Huber. It's no secret that Vernon, Shields, Karr and Swore are Corbett's council allies.

While we understand Corbett's desire to guide this process, we hope that the mayor and the committee will not shut out suggestions and advice of others. We hope that this will be a transparent process conducted out in the open and not behind closed doors. We hope taxpayers get ample chance to weigh in on what kind city manager they think the city needs.

It's important to find a skilled manager who can keep up with the aggressive pace of action demanded by voters and embraced by the current council. A good working relationship between the council and manager will be crucial to keeping pace.

Still, the next manager should be a strong, honest voice, not a rubber stamp.

Candidates with a proven track record in urban revitalization should move to the top of the list. That's the biggest job facing Cedar Rapids. which is rebuilding its economic and cultural core, and will be the biggest task facing the new manager.

The city manager works for the council, and that makes it important for members to set out clear performance goals and objectives for the new manager. Council member Kris Gulick has pointed out, correctly, that the elected council has not done a good job in the past of setting objectives and reviewing the performance of its top employee.

Corbett has said he'd like to see a new manager in place by late June or early July, when the Army Corps of Engineers will release its final report on flood protection needs in Cedar Rapids. We agree that the city's professional manager should play a major role in the crucial process that follows the corps' recommendation.

The search should be a deliberate, expedited process, but not a rush job. Getting this right is too important.

The wrong hire could jeopardize continued progress and cause time-consuming controversy. Corbett and the council have promised to quicken the pace and speed up our recovery. So far they've delivered, and we expect they'll also deliver a well-qualified manager.

-- The Gazette Editorial Board