Firing the City Manager

The Eagle continues its push against the Bryan City Council over the firing of City Manager David Watkins, or at least the secrecy they are maintaining over the firing. Ironically it was an issue of secrecy, full financial disclosure by Bryan's publicly owned utility company, that seems to have gotten Watkins in trouble in the first place. Watkins forced the hand to BTU to disclose the salaries and bonuses of their top execs. This information still has not been released to the public who owns the utility company. Hopefully the Eagle will continue to push this point as well. We have, not just a right to know, but a need to know.

The clarion call of conservatives is transparency in government. It is hard to imagine a governmental body more conservative than the City Council of Bryan, Texas. Yet, there they sit withholding important information, not just from the voters, but from the very owners of BTU.

The firing or forcing out of city managers, is a common tactic of heavy handed City Councils. It allows them to hand pick a new City Manager who answers to them and and gives notice to the rest of the professional staff of who is in charge. This has a chilling impact on City Hall and leaves the City Council as the bully of the play ground. After this happens city staffs typically spend more time in fearful defensive mode and less time contributing openly and creatively to the problems of the city.

In 2005 in College Station City Council members Ron Gay, Nancy Berry (currently CS mayor,) Chris Scotti and John Happ in a late night, as it turned out, illegal meeting decided to fire then City Manager Tom Brymer. That started a reign of terror that culminated when that group was voted out of office after they voted to try to give Weingarten control of development in College Station. The early retirement of Mary Kay Moore, Watkins predecessor in Bryan, likely also came at the hands of City Council intimidation.

Perhaps there are other forms of city government that would better protect the city manager from the vagaries of changing City Councils. But the best protection against this sort of governance by bullies is a citizenry that pays attention. And, of course, one of the best tools for an engaged electorate is a mindful Fourth Estate. Kudos to the Eagle on that account.