Whatchamacolumn: City needs clarity for future hiring procedures
McMinnville Mayor Remy Drabkin’s sanctions this week against city Councilor Chris Chenoweth followed weeks of debate about the city council’s authority and responsibility in hiring top city officials. The dispute produced heated recriminations toward Chenoweth from other councilors for various alleged transgressions against city policies.
Drabkin, in dramatic public fashion Tuesday night, stripped Chenoweth of his city committee appointments. That restriction lasts just two months because Kim Morris will take office in January after defeating the incumbent mayor in this month’s election.
Behind the scenes, underlying issues involving city council participation in the hiring process seem less clear than some have argued. Not having seen legal arguments from the city attorney, I have to look to the City Charter for guidance:
“Section 11. Appointed Administrative Officers. Additional officers of the city shall be a municipal judge, a city recorder, a city manager, a city attorney, a director of public works, a chief of police, a fire chief, a treasurer, and such other officers as the council deems necessary. Each of these officers shall be appointed and may be renewed by a majority of the council. The council may designate any appointive officer to supervise any other appointive officer except the municipal judge in the exercise of his judicial functions.”
We reported in an October news story: “Drabkin pointed to the charter, which says council ‘may designate an appointive officer to supervise’ the hiring process.” However, I read Section 11 as allowing supervision of day-to-day activities, not supervision of the hiring process.
Chenoweth aggressively claimed that city practices for naming top officer have been violating the charter provision by putting the city manager or others in charge of the process. Others said it’s just business as usual over the years, with staff recommendation going to the city council for exercising its responsibility to make the appointments.
Looking back 25 years, it’s clear that the city council has taken very active roles in the hiring process for some top city officers. Whether or not that rises to the level of charter-required activity, this controversy suggests a path for future councils to follow.
The city needs a clear policy whenever there is an opening in positions for a city manager, judge, finance director, city attorney, city recorder, planning director, public works director, police chief, parks director, city engineer or “such other officers as the council deems necessary.”
The council, in official and public action by majority vote, should approve the process to be followed for filling any of those positions. Each process, by charter dictate, would lead toward appointment “by a majority of the council,” but hiring procedures could vary with up-front approval by the council.
If I had one other suggestion, it would be for the new 2025 McMinnville City Council to spend a few hours with a professional facilitator to review and discuss the diverse issues of this controversy.
After all, following this somewhat historic election, a lot of people could use a bit of therapeutic intervention!
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
Comments
Don Dix
Jeb -- question -- since Drabkin was appointed to become mayor when Scott Hill left, who did the appointing?
And reading comments about the election outcomes, it seems several could use more than 'a bit of therapeutic intervention'.
HumblyYours
Thank you, Jeb, for balancing out the topic. It is very helpful.
seekingbalance
Thank you, Jeb, for this column. I did some research myself, found what you found, and read it the way you did. I believe there was some collaboration between two people to control what they wanted to happen. When they "claim" they've been doing it for years, it leaves the subject more than just a little murky. That's when, as you said, more clarity and transparency of government business towards our city should happen.
We vote for these council members, and they are supposed to represent the public. Just because a council member started asking questions doesn't need to bring on a temper tantrum from a losing candidate. It reminds me of a second grader that didn't get their way. The person asking the questions is doing what he should do.
I applaud Chris Chenoweth for doing what he did and you, Jeb, for writing this.
CubFan
seekingbalance... Well stated...I completely agree. I'm very grateful Chris Chenoweth spoke up when the process appeared to go sideways. And I'm equally disappointed that the other councilors kept quiet. I agree with Jeb, when Morris becomes mayor, they should define the process more clearly.
Otis
You can stop now. Remy lost. No need to campaign anymore.