The train wreck that is plaguing Willmar City government continues, as a recent West Central Tribune editorial illustrates, though it's obvious some of the members of the regional center's city council want to do better.
In Council member Christianson’s isolated city view hurts Willmar, the editors note:
As the Willmar City Council discusses what it wants in a new city administrator, some council members apparently are seeking to isolate the new city leader and that role through a revision of the position’s job description.
This civic isolationism is a poor direction for the city of Willmar.
“I don’t think we should have an administrator that we rely upon being gone from the office and attending all these meetings,” said City Council member Ron Christianson on Wednesday at the Labor Relations committee meeting. The Willmar City Council met as a whole to review search firm proposals for a new city administrator and to discuss the job description for the new city administrator. . . .
Wiser opinions within the council urged that the new city administrator’s job description call for working with internal and external issues within the city. . . .
Once again Christianson’s ever-narrowing city view rejects the opinions of other council members and city residents. He continually wants to micromanage the City Council, the city administrator, city department heads and staff, all of which continues to hinder this city.
How can a city administrator responsible for administering all Willmar’s city affairs be successful in such an isolated role?
Read the entire editorial at the paper. Those council members favoring allowing the new city administrator to be actively engaged with the larger community span the political spectrum (though the offices are nonpartisan). This isn't a fight between political parties, but of philosophies about good government.
Photo: Willmar city council.
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