There are three finalists for city manager, Rachana Dixit writes in today’s Daily Progress: acting city manager Maurice Jones; Richard Brown, city manager of East Providence, RI; and Paula Hertwig Hopkins, the assistant city manager of of Columbia, MO. One of the three has been offered the job, but the city isn’t saying who. Dixit called all three: Jones and Hopkins say that they haven’t heard anything, while Brown wouldn’t talk. So, apparently, Richard Brown is the city’s top pick.
On his LinkedIn profile, Brown says that he’s held his current position since 2006 and that, previously, he spent fourteen years as manager of New London, CT and eight as manager of Petersburg, VA. He got his BA from UVA in 1974. A Rhode Island publication points out that this is the second job Brown has been a finalist for in the past year; the last time around it was for Plymouth, RI.
How did someone like Jones, with no qualifications for the job, get to be among the top picks?
He is qualified. He was the Dir. of Communications for six years. Took a hiatus of sorts at The Miller Center. Then came back in ’08 to take the Asst. City Manager position vacated by Rochelle Small-Toney. So all together he has over eight years of specific experience in the City Manager’s Office. Add to that the last six months of actually performing the job since big Gare left.
Wasn’t it New London that won that horrible Eminent Domain case which resulted in several states limiting eminent domain powers? I wonder what role he may have had…
Check out this letter East Providence RI sent to its citizens. Could be we’re getting a very plugged-in city manager. For sure this had to be one of the deciding items.
http://www.eastprovidenceri.net/filestorage/666/738/746/764/East_Providence_Letter.pdf
It appears Brown’s city has a drug plan that it can afford!
Great. Take two aspirin and call him in the morning.
NBC 29 is reporting differently now–that Brown and Hopkins both said they are not in negotiations, and that Jones won’t comment.
I think Jones will do a very good job, and am happy that the learning curve is basically non-existent for him since he’s been doing the job for 6 months already.
The city was quite insistent in denying the Daily Progress’ story, so that might explain that. OTOH, they’re basically obliged to deny any story, since they do want to be able to negotiate in privacy.
Jones does not match the profile established by the city on page 10 http://www.springsted.com/images/Exec_Search/charlottesvilleva.pdf He has no in-depth or breadth of experience or course work. If he gets it, the city will regret it.