Sunday, July 27, 2008

Turnover at the Top Interferes With Momentum

By Mike Hartranft, Rio Rancho Journal Editor

          Let's see ... four mayors — Owen, Jackson, Williams and Swisstack — and three city managers — Palenick, Payne and one soon to be named — in just over two years.
        Administration-wise, it's kind of become a revolving door at Rio Rancho City Hall.
        The latest manager to go, of course, will be the low-key Jim Payne, who announced last week that he'll step down in a little under two months. It took him just over a year to decide, in his words, "it is time to pursue new challenges and opportunities."
        Mayor Tom Swisstack has said little publicly about Payne's departure other than it was "an amicable deal." To be sure, Payne has negotiated a severance package for 10 months' salary plus benefits and vacation pay, worth more than $100,000. His predecessor, Jim Palenick, who has taken the city to court claiming he was fired illegally, accepted a severance package worth more than $92,000.
        Unlike his predecessor, Payne has released the city from any future legal claims that might arise from his resignation.
        While I realize offering severance packages is widely practiced by both public and private entities, to me it still means we will have basically paid out nearly two years' worth of city manager salaries with no work in return.
        At any rate, the aforementioned "deal" with Payne, of course, also suggests something a little more complicated was at play than it just being time for Payne to pursue new challenges and opportunities.
        It's not uncommon, of course, for new administrations to want to bring in their own people. And whether that's what our mayor does remains to be seen. When asked about the speculation swirling about in various circles that former Rio Rancho city administrator James Jiminez will be Payne's successor, the mayor coyly replied, "Rumors are just rumors in government."
        I've really no points to make about that yet, other than that would be four Jameses in a row managing the city, if you count Jiminez's first time around — five if you count city attorney Jim Babin's stint as interim city manager in between Palenick and Payne. OK, Ed Chismar broke the chain as interim administrator between Jiminez and Palenick.
        I am concerned, though, that we get some stability at City Hall. If it seems like city progress has slowed the past couple of years — development in our new downtown or some progress with internal transit, for instance — maybe it's because the city hasn't been able to muster any traction.
        Plus, I'd like to see our tax dollars support something other than severance packages.