When it comes to finding a solution to running an effective government, is Baton Rouge about to be schooled by its neighbor to the south? Business Report Publisher Rolfe McCollister asks.
In his latest column, McCollister notes that A Better Ascension—a nonprofit group of Ascension Parish business leaders—is advocating to change the parish’s home rule charter to replace the elected parish president position with a parish council-appointed government manager. The position would require a master’s degree in business or public administration and at least five years of experience as a government executive.
“Does this sound like a more effective solution than hiring multiple Ph.D.s to staff the mayor-president’s office—who expect to be addressed as ‘doctor’—with most having little or no business or executive experience?” he writes.
Baton Rouge has had opportunities to hire a professional city manager, McCollister says.
In 1988, former Mayor Tom Ed McHugh met with Ted Gaebler, a professional city manager who had been featured on the cover of Inc. magazine for leading “The Most Entrepreneurial City in America: Visalia, California.
McHugh had served as a member of the Metro Council representing Zachary and oversaw transportation for the East Baton Rouge school system. He needed help “running a major city,” McCollister says.
Gaebler offered to move to Baton Rouge as CAO for $80,000 a year, but McHugh balked. The reason: McHugh’s own salary was just $74,000, McCollister writes.
“He failed to see the vision and experience that Gaebler had—and which he lacked. Instead, McHugh hired him to consult for six months,” he says. “Gaebler assessed all that needed to be changed at City Hall after meeting with all the department heads and Metro Council, as well as talking with staff and others. But when it came time to implement, McHugh didn’t renew the contract for another six months, or hire him.”
Instead, McHugh thought he could implement the reorganization plan on his own, but nothing ever changed. “The biggest mistake we made was not hiring Ted Gaebler,” a staffer told McCollister.
The status quo remained. The evidence that McHugh screwed up came when Gaebler went on to co-author the best-selling book, Reinventing Government, in 1992. At that point, he was getting paid $10,000 for an hour speech.
“As Ascension Parish ponders its future and form of government, its people should consider our missed opportunities and past mistakes. Running a city is not an easy task and will get tougher,” McCollister says. “EBR needs to be having this debate on a city manager form of government, too. Can you imagine what our parish and city would be like today had McHugh taken a bold step in 1988 and hired such an innovative talent to professionally run City Hall and prepare us for this century? Instead, the status quo won—and we all lost.”
McCollister also mentioned the issue of the battle between North and South Baton Rouge. He notes, 45 years of last 53 yeas, the mayor’s office has been occupied by someone elected from North Baton Rouge – but somehow South Baton Rouge gets blamed for the conditions in North Baton Rouge.
Read the full column. Send your comments to editors@businessreport.com.
