Newark leaders looking for a smarter way to do business

What qualification do you need to become a professional manager of Newark's affairs? That single qualification would be the ability to draw votes, though Newark's affairs include the collection and expenditure of millions of dollars and the supervision of many employes, most of them doing very specialized jobs.

This could soon change, thanks to agreement among Newark leaders to study a proposal for the city-manager form of government.

Our present managers include the mayor and the members of city council. They come off the street with widely varied backgrounds but no experience in city management. They are given on-the-job training, all the while taking guidance from political parties, campaign contributors and schmoozing everybody else for next election.

These managers don't get paid much and they work long hours. Thanks to critics like me, their jobs are frequently frustrating and unrewarding. How such jobs attract any candidates - let alone any good candidates - is a mystery.

Compare that to the use of a professional municipal manager. Such a person would know how to run public affairs by virtue of education and experience. Just as important, a manager is insulated from political parties and campaign-contributor influence.

I've pleaded the case for this kind of government before: (5/5/08 Let's spend $54,000 to find out why we spent it) and (5/9/08 Yes, we do need a city manager) for instance.

Yesterday's Advocate report Newark leaders to study city manager form of government came as a welcomed surprise. The promise is only to study the proposal for a city manager, but that proposal has been well-conceived and put on firm foundation. It has the backing of the mayor, two former mayors, the president of council, and council members.

It is the smart way to introduce the proposal to citizens and to study its pros and cons. It is a declaration that Newark's city government is looking for better ways to do business. If it never gets any farther than that, congratulations are still in order.