Commentary: Next City Manager Must Right City’s Fiscal Ship, Find Way Forward for Economic Development
Following yesterday’s column, the Vanguard received some important feedback on the fiscal state of the city. One…
Monday Morning Thoughts: Two Years of Ignoring Fiscal Challenges Were Costly
As we prepare once again to search for a new city manager, once again it seems we…
Commentary: Thoughts on the Departure of Dirk Brazil and the Needs of the City Going Forward
The statement this week that City Manager Dirk Brazil had announced his retirement, effective January 8, 2018,…
Two Years Ago: Firefighters, Other Employees Celebrate Pinkerton’s Departure; Elected Officials Join In
Today marks the two year anniversary of this seminal Vanguard piece On Friday, the Vanguard was tipped…
Commentary: Dire Predictions Did Not Come To Pass with Fire Service Reform
It was late 2012, when then-Interim Fire Chief Scott Kenley brought the Davis City Council a proposal…
Analysis: Gloves Come Off in Debate Over City Manager
Last week, we noted and analyzed Rich Rifkin’s column, “Davis City Manager Fails to Lead” (6/24) where…
Analysis: City Manager Salary Increase and Its Impact on Employee Morale, Labor Negotiations
In 2009, as the city was starting to take on water fiscally, City Manager Bill Emlen decided…
Sunday Commentary: New City Manager Salary Puts Davis in Tough Spot
Back in July, the Vanguard argued that the “Council Did Right Thing on Compensation.” As we wrote…
City Council Finally Get Its Man: Dirk Brazil, New City Manager
By the time the council formally meets to hire Dirk Brazil as city manager on October 21,…
City Manager Decision: Davis’ Future in the Balance
Over the last several months, a number of people have come to me, concerned that if they…
Analysis: Council in a Catch-22 on New City Manager
If you read the council agenda item for Saturday, they figure to have a long day as…
Commentary: The Other Side of Employee Morale
On Sunday, the Vanguard attempted to throw out, as food for thought as we go forward, the…
Sunday Commentary: Employee Morale and Other City Manager Fallout
Earlier this week, we had a brief series on ideal qualities we would be looking for in…
Part II: What Makes a Good City Manager – the Good and the Bad
One of the reasons that I liked the piece from John Nalbandian about Dallas was that he…
What Does Davis Need in a City Manager?
While I do not disagree with those who believe the biggest issue that the city faces is…
My View: Council Did Right Thing on Compensation
The council has clearly waded into perilous waters by increasing the salary component of the city manager’s…
Sunday Commentary: A New City Manager is Highest Priority
When Steve Pinkerton announced in February that he was leaving for Incline Village, he gave the city…
An Open Letter to the Firefighters Local 3494
Firefighters Should Stop Being Part of the Problem and Start Being Part of Renewing This Community: It…
Joe Krovoza Helped to Transform the Community
Joe Krovoza took over as mayor in January 2011 and served one of the longest consecutive tenures…
My View: Who Fills the Leadership Void?
If you want to understand the fruits of good planning, and strong leadership, look no further than…
