The push for a chief operating officer grew a bit stronger Thursday with the unveiling of a new political action committee aimed at swaying voters to back the idea next month.
A website created by Choose COO features information about the proposal and a note from businesssman Craig Yarde claiming the position would save taxpayers millions of dollars.
He said a professional administrator would manage the 21 department heads and “make the city departments more efficient and effective to service us citizens and help to keep taxes down.”
Critics of the proposed charter change say the position itself will sock taxpayers for at least $200,000 annually and question whether whoever holds it will have the necessary authority to make the sorts of changes that Yarde envisions.
Yarde, the former co-owner of Yarde Metals, said that he sees a a communication problem at City Hall that requires a solution.
“At the top” of the organization chart, Yarde said, is a mayor who is set up to fail.
Yarde said that former Mayor Gerard Couture told him “he spent half his day listening to citizen complaints” and not dealing with the big issues that Bristol has to face.
Couture said Thursday that it probably wasn’t half the day, but “it was a good part of the day.”
He said, though, that he also meant the time he spent dealing with issues raised by employees and attending in-house events such as police promotions.
Couture said he’s not sure a chief operating officer is the answer, but he did recommend the city take steps “to professionalize the mayor’s office.”
Yarde said the mayor “spends every evening in board meetings, kissing babies and cutting ribbons.”
He said that instead, the mayor should be hitting up the state for money and offering a vision “to lead us to the future.”
The way it is now, Yarde said, a mayor also has to manage 21 department heads directly.
“You got to be kidding. Superman couldn't do it. Forget about it,” Yarde said.
He said that if voters approve the charter change on Nov. 4, the new chief operating officer it would create would oversee the department heads, freeing up the mayor for larger picture issues.
“The COO would use their experience to assist the mayor and [City] Council and will help in the continuity needed to maintain a long term vision for this community,” Yarde said.’
“After all we've been turning over councilmen and mayors every two years,” he said.
“Believe me, there are millions of dollars of low hanging fruit that a COO can pick without sacrificing service or jobs,” Yarde said.
It’s possible that’s true.
Couture said that his aide, former state Rep. Kosta Diamantis, saved the taxpayers $230,000 in a single afternoon when he discovered a lawyer had overbilled the city.
Couture said he wishes that the council, the mayor and solid citizens such as Yarde could get together and hash out a solution that everyone could support.
The council voted against the chief operating officer concept on a 5-2 vote, with Ward joining the opposition. It reached the ballot only because supporters gathered enough signatures over the summer to overturn the council’s rejection of the plan.
Couture said he tried to make the mayor’s office more professional by hiring a part-time aide, a position that vanished under his two successors.
An assistant for the mayor, said Couture, “would be a big benefit” for the city because “one man can’t run the whole show.”
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
30 comments:
Cootch + the girl-preying-mantis + Yarde = primo-cluster-f___.
Gerry liked to micro-manage, especially in Public Works and the Police Department: that took up much of his time.
Heaven help us if we get another Aide smarter and pushier than his boss: Kosta may have saved some money, but along side the 8 million spent on the Mall, everything else pales in comparison.
Is Cootch looking for a job?
Why is Yarde ignoring the fact that per Union contract the COO can't instruct many Dept heads to do anything?
The COO would be assisting the Mayor. He or she would be a trained professional that could review what the department heads were doing and advise the mayor. So yes the mayor would still deal directly with the unions but do so in a much more informed manor. And, as contract come up for unions the addition of the COO could be added in.
12:26
The still unanswered question: who do the department heads report to?
If the COO is just going to do what the mayor says, why do we need that position?
Will the COO have ANY independence?
Where are the answers?
Yarde, Barnes, and Leone and the Chamber are all behind this. Why are the unions so against it?
What does Yarde know about the city, Barnes has the family behind him, which has got him where he is, and remember, Leone bailed out on the job back in 1990.
Each is looking for "power", none are really affected by the way the city is run.
Hey Gerry I think you should not say another word about the COO you know the mayor will not listen to anyone and he wants total charge. Remember how he treated you. You were mor compasionet to the people than he can ever be. Remember Art is for Art big time.
compasionet?
"mor compasionet"???
Nuff said....
Here you go, Mr. Too-Stupid-to-Breathe 1:12 pm, from the Choose COO website:
"Sec. 62 Chief Operating Officer.
(b) The COO shall:
(1) Be responsible to exercise general supervision over the following officers of the city: the City Clerk, the Comptroller, the Purchasing Agent, the Assessor, the Tax Collector, the Library Director, the Fire Chief, the Superintendent of Parks and Recreation, the Director of Public Works, the Building Official, the Chief of Police, the Superintendent of Water, the Corporation Counsel, the Director of Personnel, the Director of Community Services, the Executive Director of the Bristol Development Authority, the Youth Services Director, and the Director of Aging. These responsibilities shall include, but not be limited to, supervising, and evaluating, and disciplining these officers of the city.
(2) At any time, summon before him any officer of said city for information, consultation and advice upon the affairs of the city.
(3) Communicate to the mayor and the city council such information concerning the affairs of the city, and such suggestions and recommendations relating thereto, as the interest of the city shall, in his judgment require.
(4) Communicate to the mayor and the city council such information concerning the affairs of the city, and such suggestions and recommendations relating thereto, as the mayor or city council shall request.
(5) Provide strategic planning and coordination among the various city departments to more successfully implement the, budget and policies and procedures of the city.
(6) Provide leadership and direction to all officers and employees of the city to develop and implement the city budget in conjunction with the comptroller and the Board of Finance, customer service initiatives, personnel initiatives, departmental technology evaluations and initiatives, program evaluation, grant activity, legislative initiatives, and other matters as in the interest of the city as in the COO’s judgment require.
(7) Develop and administer effective programs to promptly address citizen inquiries and complaints.
(8) Aid the mayor and city council in recruiting and developing qualified candidates for appointment to the various city boards, commissions and other appointed offices.
(9) Shall attend all city council and board of finance meetings and other meetings necessary to fulfill the duties of the COO’s office.
(10) Other duties as the mayor and the city council may from time to time designate."
That's a helluva lot more than any Mayor has ever done, or been capable of doing. VOTE "YES" ON THE COO!!!
to 10:46
No you go and read our charter and see how many contradictions exist between that one and what is proposed. Keep in mind that approving of one does not eliminate the other.
Who will rule on any questions, the courts?
Poorly thought out and will give us a lot of headaches.
Who will the COO take orders from, the Mayor or the Council.
As we see now, the Mayor and council do not agree: what happens then?
I agree that this is a train wreck wqiting to happen.
I ask, what will happen to the various boards and commissions?
What will be their role?
This will be the most costliest, malfunctional screw-up that this city has ever seen if it is voted in.
yeah, just visited that new Coo website - didn't impress me at all. as it only went over the same unsubstantiated rhetoric that created the thoughts for this unneeded position.
Also saw that ken johnson is the contact person - does that mean that we can expect him to try to pick his position in city government - run for mayor and if he loses,again, apply for the COO spot? watch out Bristol.
The Soap Salesmen are at it again. Their Web site extolls the virtues of a Town Manger, but DOES NOT discuss a COO, which is what they are proposing.
And there is a difference, a big one.
What a CON JOB!
Betcha Johnson is even proud of the snow job they are putting forth, he is known to be a fast talking huckster!
4:19pm - also have visited your website and have to agree with 8:24am - the COO website only provides a vailed presentation of information which would have one assume that the stated conditions actually exist in our form of government.
Why not provide specific, factual examples of how it really is a factor in Bristol's system?
How come that there is no reference or mention of the total cost to put this in place and the financial factors to follow?
Many of us are somewhat suspect of ken johnson's involvement and motivation in this proposal, as it is, and the lack of substance in the subject matter does nothing to
lessen that or strenghten your rationale.
Very poorly thought out, very poorly presented.
Is that part of the plan?
Why don't the COO supporters answer any questions?
All the questions that have answers have been answered. You just don't like the answers.
3:00
Refresh my memory: What is the city's position on the salary range?
Will the Mayor's salary be changed?
What is the tentative budget for that new office?
Sorry, I must have missed those answers, along with all the others, but I will appreciate your sharing of that information.
"Refresh my memory: What is the city's position on the salary range? Will the Mayor's salary be changed?"
Like I said, all the questions that have answers, have been answered. This is one that has no answer. There is no "city position" on the salary range. No one knows if the Mayor's salary will be changed, but if you think about it you can probably figure this one out for yourself.
"What is the tentative budget for that new office?" See above answer (again!). There IS NO tentative budget.
11:29
If I read you correctly, some of the questionsdon't have answers.
When will answers be forthcoming?
Or are you saying that they haven't been answered yet?
What answers are legitimate, what answers are speculation?
One sided answers don't cut it unless there is some legitimacy to the answerer.
Answers please, answers.
Another big businessman that want's to own Bristol but did in fact move his business from Bristol. Everybody forget already ?
Ward wants assistants?
Two assistants would cost as much as one COO COO: you ain't talking about clerks here.
And they will need at least one clerical person, so where is the difference?
Craig and crew:
Specifics please.
What is Couture talking about?
Didn't Kosta run the city?
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