WCBU reported today that Peoria City Manager Randy Oliver was a finalist for the city manager’s job in McKinney, TX. As Jonathan Ahl reported on his blog, this was first reported in a Texas newspaper. The Oliver family denies he’s looking, and Ahl reports that Oliver future in Peoria is not certain, as his annual evaluation is due and he’s supposedly just two council member votes shy of majority support.
Sigh.
I like Randy Oliver. I hate the council/manager foirm of government. It just doesn’t work. It’s supposed to be more professional than the strong mayor form (in which the mayor is the chief executive and the council is a legislative body). But the reality is that because the city manager needs a majority of the council’s support, he (or she) needs to be keenly aware of the politics involved in day-to-day decision-making. Likewise, council members who want to be seen as effective need to maintain good relations with the city manager, who technically is their only employee.
Peoria has a history of using city managers as scapegoats. Our city managers never seem to last very long. As soon as one gets to know the community, they are either forced to leave, or they leave on their own.
I am convinced the problems Peoria faces would be better addressed by having an elected chief executive, to whom all city employees would answer. The mayor, in turn, would be the only member of the council directly answerable to the entire city.
Tags: form of government, peoria, Randy Oliver, strong mayor
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
