Guest column: 'New' isn't the answer for ES

Mr. (James) DeVito, and his colleagues, or whoever composed last week's guest column, would lead the citizens to believe overthrowing the government will solve all our city's perceived problems.

The hypothesis that a city administrator position will establish continuity to the city government is not historically accurate.

The national average for administrators is 3 to 5 years. In the past approximately 20 years since we hired our first administrative assistant, our city's average is in right in there at four years. (Seems to be the same number as the mayor, city clerk/treasurer and attorney terms in office.)

Only our council members serve two years, and the option is available to the city now to change, although the council seems hesitant to discuss the issue of four year staggered terms on camera at the council table.

The new administrative form of government would dictate four year staggered terms.

And unless the board of directors makes a lot more money than the council, the number of resignations on the board will most likely be higher than the two year council's.

The board of directors would end up being appointed persons, rather than elected. The citizens would be saddled with a government they did not elect, and cannot vote out of office for four years, headed by a CEO they did not hire, and cannot fire.

The allegation that Brenda Spencer is not the Mayor's Administrative Assistant is very strange.

Mr. DeVito's lack of knowledge about the competent and complete services provided by the staff at City Hall, and the fact their combined salaries are LESS than Ms. Dickens', (Kim Dickens, former city administrative assistant) shows he does not have a clue as to their job descriptions or salaries.

The only consistent factor about administrative assistants is the constant increases in salaries.

In five years, Jim Walden's increase was $10,000, giving him a salary of $42,000 when he left the office.

In two years, Don Young went from $37,000, to the $43,200 he made when he was fired.

Kim Dickens' increases were astronomical for five years, starting as interim administrative assistant at $34,000 which grew to $52,000, a whopping $18,000 increase.

The propaganda being handed out by Mr. DeVito is from the ICMA, the International City/County Management Association.

This association also has an on-line employee agreement for administrators or managers insuring job status with a city or county.

The employment contract agreement states:

"In the event that the employee is terminated, as defined in Section 9 of this agreement, the employee shall be entitled to all compensation including salary, accrued vacation and sick leave, car allowance paid in lump sum plus continuation of all benefits for the remainder of the term of this agreement.

"The employee's duties require exclusive and unrestricted use of an automobile to be mutually agreed upon and provided to the Employee at the employer's cost.

"If the employee is terminated, the employer shall provide a minimum severance payment equal to one year salary at the current rate of pay. This severance shall be paid in a lump sum unless otherwise agreed to by the employer and employee.

For a minimum period of one year following termination, the Employer shall pay the cost to continue the following benefits:

1) Health insurance for the employee and all dependents as provided in Section 4A

2) Life insurance as provided in Section 4D

3) Short-term and long-term disability as provided in Section 4B

4) Car allowance or payment of lease, or provide option to buy city vehicle at depreciated value

5) Out placement services should the Employee desire them in an amount not to exceed ($10,000 to $15,000 recommended) and

6) Any other available benefits.

Section 16: Home Sale and Purchase Expenses Recommended: employee shall be reimbursed for direct costs associated in moving.

Employee shall be reimbursed for the costs incidental to buying or building a primary residence."

I think you get the idea.

Does this really sound like the wonderful, stabilizing, expertise we need at city hall?

It is a job. Period.

Mr. DeVito suggests there would be more responsiveness to citizens.

How could that be true when the administrator does not answer to the citizens?

The board of directors becomes BOTH the legislative and executive bodies of city government.

To believe someone can be hired to care about the City of Eureka Springs and it's citizens, the same way the mayor and council serve in such an altruistic manner is ludicrous.

Between the news that an FOI lawsuit is being filed against the administrator and board in Ft. Smith, and residents of the City of Hot Springs circulating a petition to change back to a mayor/alderman form of government, I have a hard time seeing exactly how this other form of government works better than ours.

Even (Fayetteville) Mayor (Dan) Coody doesn't believe in fostering a coup d'e«tat in a sister city.

Mayor Coody was on the board in Fayetteville when the citizens voted to change and his board seat was vacated. He has served Fayetteville in both forms of government and believes mayor/council to be best government for his town.

When talking with a member of the Municipal League legal team, and a member of the Carroll County election board, the word "disastrous" was used - disastrous for small towns.

They would be hesitant to say that in public as they are supposed to remain neutral in these issues, but certainly were open in conversation about their doubts on administrative government working in Eureka.

In the pamphlet Mr. DeVito is mailing out, a figure of 100,000 in population is mentioned in conjunction with a manager form of government. Can 2,200 afford this bureaucracy?

The whole process of petition was flawed, with a page unsigned by the canvasser, duplicate names, one signature obviously forged, canvassers swearing they witnessed signatures when they were not at the motel where the petition was left, and the most aggressive canvasser, Mr. DeVito, never had the integrity to sign his name on any of the petitions, although many have said he was alone when carrying the paper and was the person who asked them to sign.

Three council members appeared angry that I did my job by bidding out banking services last Friday morning.

State Law dictates the mayor opens and awards bids unless I name someone to serve in my stead.

I hope they realize with an administrator, their input would be zip, as it is no longer in their purview to control all the money, assets of the city, contracts, purchasing for all departments, and even creating a purchasing department to carry out their wishes.

I wonder if they will treat the administrator with the same hostility when they perform their regular duties.

Unlike my detractors, I would rather concentrate on the positive.

Our town, for the first time in years, is issuing a high number of certificates of occupancy which equates to new businesses.

Permits for construction are up, and new homes and renovations are thriving.

I worked with Bud Umland and a citizens group to revise ordinances to allow two new festivals this year, and helped the organizers of the farmers market set up in a highly visible location.

According to City Advertising and Promotion Commission (CAPC) Executive Director and long-time resident LeRoy Gorrell, the city has been amazing in working to encourage new activities, a cooperation that did not exist before.

Our revenue numbers are up significantly over last year at this time.

The ACE groups are working with other groups to benefit all citizens, on issues from housing to film making, creating new jobs and new revenue.

The cooperation now being enjoyed between all the city entities is at an all-time high.

There is not a hole at the center of the government wheel, Mr. DeVito, but hope, new direction and positive energy, something you do not recognize perhaps.

In Mr. DeVito's diatribe, one paragraph says our little town has "a limited pool of talent" and in another, "the wealth of talent in our city." Well, I guess we do have talent anyway.

That would be our Eureka all right. That would be the town that should demand the talented and unique citizenry have a direct voice in who is on council, and in the office at City Hall.