Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Editorial: Why rush a contract?
Christiansburg's town manager has never had a contract. Suddenly, council wants to give him one.
From the RoundTable blog
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Christiansburg Town Manager Lance Terpenny has worked for 14 years without a contract.
For some reason, a bare majority of current council members -- including two lame ducks -- believe they need to lock future councils into a 38-month contract with the town manager.
This is a mistake on many levels.
Once an election has been completed, outgoing council members should avoid decisions that tie the hands of incoming members.
Such votes are almost undemocratic. It's one thing for a lame-duck council to vote on pressing issues. It's something else entirely to act to deny the next council the ability to make its own choices. If the new council wants Terpenny, fine. If it does not, however, it should be able to choose its own manager.
Christiansburg's charter practically invites such misbehavior, though, by not having council members elected in May take office until September.
The manager's contract is clearly not a pressing issue. In the past, the new council has renewed his employment in September, not the outgoing one in July or August.
With passage of a referendum last year moving town elections to November, the opportunity for that kind of mischief will be limited. New council members will be sworn in less than two months after being elected, rather than the current five.
However, even if this action wasn't being considered by a council majority that will not exist after September, it is unwise -- especially in the contract's current form.
A 38-month contract is excessively long. A 38-month contract that guarantees the town manager 38 months' worth of pay even if council terminates him the day after the contract takes effect is completely irresponsible.
Mayor Richard Ballengee insists that the contract -- a copy of which Roanoke Times reporter Tonia Moxley acquired after the town refused to make it public -- is only a starting point.
"It's a model contract," he said.
A model of fiscal recklessness, perhaps. We cannot imagine any body of responsible elected officials agreeing to such terms.
Council should put this contract on hold until new members are sworn in this September.
Terpenny has gone 14 years without a contract. He can wait a few more months.
