Greensboro city council supports Mitchell Johnson. No kidding.
It was with an open mind that I read the article in yesterday’s N&R, hoping it would tell me exactly why Johnson should be our city manager in spite of the recent controversy surrounding him.
All I got was this:
Council members also agree that Johnson brought with him a new approach: involving the council in decision-making on a much more intimate level.
Though they’re loath to speak ill about Johnson’s predecessor, Ed Kitchen, some say Johnson is more inclusive. They rave about his monthly one-on-one meetings and frequent telephone calls.
Council member Florence Gatten sure didn’t sound like she was loath to speak ill about Kitchen:
“What we had before was, ‘I’m city manager and you’re not. Here are my recommendatrions.’ That was extremely disheartening and annoying.”
I digress before asking this question: Is it such a good thing that the city manager be “intimate” with the city council? It seems to me that such a close relationship would run the risk of further politicizing city operations, as if they’re not politicized enough.
This also makes one wonder what role Johnson’s “intimate” relationship with the city council played in his dealings with David Wray.
