Dateline: March 6, 2003

City begins search for administrator

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Clarendon began its search for a city administrator this week with local and statewide advertising for the position.

City officials had discussed hiring an administrator for more than two years before finally giving the go ahead last month for the search to begin. They hope having a man or woman overseeing day-to-day municipal operations will improve the city’s performance.

“I think it will prove to be more efficient and will save us money in the long run,” Alderman Janice Knorpp said. “The consensus among the board is that an administrator will pay for himself.

Only Alderman Michael Tibbets voted against starting the search when the board met on February 11. He told the Enterprise Tuesday that he did not believe an administrator would pay for himself, and he  said he believed power should not be concentrated in an unelected local official.

“There’s plenty of power in the mayor’s office,” Tibbets said. “If there is a demonstrated need to have this type of position, let’s pay the mayor to do it.”

Tibbets also said that at a time when 50 state governments are broke and the whole country is cutting administrative positions, it is inconceivable that Clarendon should add a bureaucrat to the payroll.

City Hall says a salary for an administrator is not figured in the current municipal budget, but it was included in budgets for the last three years. Those funds were deposited in a CD, which would likely be tapped to cover the salary.

Knorpp said she didn’t think the administrator’s salary would impact city taxpayers in a negative way since the money is already available and has been budgeted for in the past.

The administrator will be expected to work with the mayor and Board of Aldermen in setting policies and goals for the city and seeing that they are carried out. Knorpp said the administrator would also spend some time looking for grants for the city, although that won’t be his primary job, and help with enforcing city ordinances.

“We hope that the city administrator will work with our law enforcement personnel, our municipal court, and our city employees for the good of the City of Clarendon,” she said. “We want everyone to work together.”

To that end, Knorpp said the city would not rush to fill the position.

“We’re going to take our time and find the best person for the job,” she said.

The position of city administrator was created by ordinance in 1964 but has not been filled in more than 30 years. Since 2001, the city has contracted with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission (PRPC) for Colby Waters to provide some of the services of an administrator on a part-time basis.

“Colby has been an immense help to us,” Knorpp said. “He’s helped with our budget and our policies, and he’s been good when we needed explanations on municipal procedures.”

Knorpp said she expects Waters will be kept on to help ease the transition to an administrator and then she thinks the city will continue to work with PRPC in a different capacity.