News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Monterey Alderman Bill Wiggins wants the town’s aldermen to establish a city manager position.
Wiggins said that the need for the position is past due and that the increasing workload for city staff necessitates the position. Wiggins said the jobs consists of new opportunities to benefit the town as well as day-to-day operations.
“We have a board of alderman and a mayor, but that system is not designed actually to manage a municipality like ours now,” Wiggins said. “We have so many things pending that we need a professional to manage this for us.”
Wiggins said a city manager could manage the affairs of the city and enforce policy established by the board. Wiggins said that he has not taken a poll regarding the opinions of other aldermen, though he feels the idea is a welcome one.
Wiggins said he has asked the mayor to schedule a work session in order to discuss the idea and how they would pursue it.
“When I mentioned it [I] got some looks after the meeting,” Wiggins said. “Some folks agree, I don’t know whether it’s unanimous on the board or not, but there have been some enthusiastic affirmations of the idea.”
Wiggins said that if the proposition made it in front of the board of alderman he thinks it would pass.
“What’s happening now is our City Recorder is kind of put into the position of acting or behaving like a City Manager in some respects,” Wiggins said. “Although she has no supervisory authority but oftentimes she’s used as a sounding board.”
Wiggins said Monterey almost established a city manager in the late 1990s but the effort fizzled. Wiggins said if Monterey decides to move forward with establishing a city manager, they will then have to submit for state approval.
Wiggins said that this new development would mean a lot to Monterey, as it’s an entirely new approach to handling town business.
