Picking Cotten?
Who will be the acting city manager?
If possible, someone without a dog in anybody's fight.
Someone unconnected to any faction or special interest.
Someone familiar with the art of herding cats.
Someone who will command the council's respect and someone who won't be afraid to tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.
Someone who would have little fear because he would have nothing to lose.
Ed Kitchen comes to mind, but I doubt the former city manager would touch this job with a 1,000-foot pole. He already has a very good job with the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation, plus he is connected to Mitchell Johnson as his former boss.
But former County Manager Roger Cotten might fit the bill.
If he could survive all those years with the commissioners, the council should be a piece of cake.
Comments (8)
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Roger Cotten has run for elected office. Regardless of his qualifications, I think anyone who has run for political office should be automatically disqualified from consideration.
Greensboro needs a city manager who is unbiased. Cotten can't even claim this because of his past attempts at elected office.
Posted on March 5, 2009 12:05 AM
The new manager's main qualification should be that he (or she) is black -
Posted on March 5, 2009 5:15 AM
And your point, "Monica," is?????/
Posted on March 5, 2009 9:15 AM
Why do I get the feeling that Monica just might be white?
Posted on March 5, 2009 12:40 PM
Monica, that is just funny to me... and I don't mean in an ironic way either.
Nothing like a little tongue-in-cheek.
And if the new city manager WERE black???
These blogs would be the wondrous "bubbling over" that this city is overdue for. Except the people writing in the blogs would still be smiling the fake conciliatory, "excuse me while I'm polite to you random black person" smiles they give out in public places.
All the while inwardly groaning at your brown face being someplace they don't believe it belongs. And there would be the same guarded silence between black and whites as the day Obama was elected. Uh-oh, black people, don't get too excited, don't want to upset the "unhappy with the outcome" white folks around, lest they go all Emmett Till on you....
Posted on March 5, 2009 3:37 PM
Allen, it baffles me how your post above could turn into a racial discussion.
I believe Cotten would be an excellent choice.
He's proven, he's here, and he's ready to go to work on day one.
And the comment from "No Thank You" needs more explanation for me to understand. Why should running for office disqualify him from managing the city. He ran for county commissioner.
Posted on March 6, 2009 12:20 AM
I am not a Greensboro native. Over the years I have been surprised at the depth of anger both blacks and whites have expressed to me. These have been genuine feelings from real people in real situations.
Tony, with all due respect, I don't get why you are baffled. The Johnson/Wray situation--and thus the Johnson situation--has been a racial issue from day one. There is no "starting fresh." Choosing a new city manager has racial issues attached just by virtue of where we are coming from. Minimizing these issues just makes things worse and is in no one's best interest.
Posted on March 6, 2009 9:40 AM
I still don't understand why a city this size has to have a mayor AND a city manager. I realize our mayor is more of a figure head - but many cities this size have a mayor and city council only.
The problem I see with having a city manager who is chosen rather than elected is that for the most part - citizens don't have a say. Yeah, I know the argument, the citizens are represented by the council and they are the voice - blah, blah, blah.
Take a good look at our city council and tell me that applies here.
Posted on March 13, 2009 4:24 PM