It was shocking to hear that City Administrator, Gary Boden was tossed out of City Hall two weeks ago. Not suprising, but a bit shocking. I have worked with Mr. Boden on a number of projects since he took that position in early 2007. He could be very abrasive but he was also a very smart and able administrator and had a solid vision for a better future for the City.
Everything I’ve heard from people close to the situation say that the recent articles in the Herald are all essentially correct. Some recent incidents brought interpersonal tensions between Mayor Holm and City Administrator Boden to a head two weeks ago.
I realize that it might seem quaint and old-fashioned in the current political milieu – i.e. see Sarah Palin, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig et. al. – that I expect my representatives to behave like mature adults instead of sixth graders. Nonetheless, considering that the country and the city are in the midst of one of the most desperate fiscal eras in recent history, one would hope that adults would hold their noses, do the right thing for the City and retain such a skilled administrator despite his rough personality. I mean, its not like he was say… sleeping with the Mayor’s cat or something roughly equivalent that would appear to be what it takes to rise to a baseline level of political scandal these days.
The Mayor and four members of the City Council have stripped the city of its irascible but highly competent City Administrator during one of the most challenging yet opportunity-filled moments in Clinton’s history. In doing so, they have placed their interpersonal conflicts well above the best interests of the City and possibly dealt Clinton a heavy blow to its future economic development.
Gary was a very knowledgeable and dedicated City Administrator. He was focused on long overdue progress for Clinton. Gary will never win any awards for personal warmth and never suffered fools gladly – which was probably his ultimate undoing with the Clinton City Council.
According to my sources, those personal tensions most likely came to a head recently when a letter to Congressman, Bruce Braley required a statement of the City’s number one street construction financing need. For a couple of years, the stated number one priority has been the19th Avenue North to Mill Creek Parkway extension. But recent state and federal funding have largely topped off the funding for that project and it was pretty much accepted wisdom within the economic development community that we should shift the focus to the Liberty Square redevelopment project. This letter to Braley’s office stating the same required the signature of Mayor, Roger Holm.
Holm was apparently not available due to health reasons for two or three days up to the submission deadline. Unable to contact the Mayor, Boden’s solution was apparently to have member of staff affix a scanned copy of the mayor’s signature to the document indicating that the City’s priority was Liberty Square and send it to Braley’s office.
This incident raises lots of questions. Was there a policy disagreement between the mayor and city administrator? Why? It was pretty common knowledge that the 19th Avenue North project was substantially topped off with funding and that the Liberty Square project still had a funding hole to fill.
Did Gary Boden just not try hard enough to reach Holm? If not, why was the Mayor so difficult to reach? Health issues or not, he should be able to be reached in case of emergency. If he was so gravely ill that he would be unreachable, why didn’t the public know about it (paging the Herald City Desk) and why was an acting mayor not named in case of emergency? But Boden’s action was a no-no in any case. So, when his review came up there was at least one objectively valid reason for calling Boden on the carpet.
There were other reasons as well. Boden worked aggressively to put the city on a more modern (say, post-19th Century) footing on a host of issues: wastewater management, traffic flow, and information technology being just three. He also insisted in reorganizing the city government administrative and personnel structure to make it more responsive and run according to merit-based hiring and promotion. This is a direct challenge to any politicians favorite perk, patronage.
Boden was an expert in municipal finance. One person in the city administration who declined to be named said,
It is not unusual for an opportunity to come into the city that requires a very fast turnaround – a few hours or just a day — and has to be complete with funding sources, incentives and long-term financial structuring. Gary could do that stuff on the back of a napkin. He had a grasp of municipal finance that no one else in this city has.
One of Boden’s two main reform efforts were in the area of traffic and water. As soon as he arrived he recognized that Clinton’s wastewater management system was at best, antiquated. One council member described it as, “completely screwed.” Boden realized that the City would end up getting in trouble with the state and federal regulators and began to get out ahead of the problem much to everyone’s chagrin.
He also understood that in addition to the abysmal quality of the paving of Clinton’s streets, that the layout and traffic flow was very inefficient, with one or two key choke points. He has been instrumental in arranging the financing that has made it possible for the city to begin its first major street construction and repair initiative in many years.
Clinton’s political culture is resistant to change and Gary brought needed change. But he was never going to be anyone’s favorite person. He had an impersonal demeanor and if he didn’t think your idea had merit he could be pretty rude and dismissive. In meetings if he was not interested or in agreement with what was being discussed, he would often appear openly bored. None of these were effective qualities for a person who although unelected, who was nonetheless deeply involved in politics.
No surprise then that egos would clash. Clinton’s city charter with its “weak mayor, strong administrator,” model is tailor made for conflict between a mayor and city administrator with strong personalities or political ambitions.
No surprise either that grown men and women would let their interpersonal beefs take precedence over their duty to the people who put them in office. Sad, and infuriating to be sure. But no one was surprised when Gary Boden was shown the City Hall door.
Who ever wrote this blog has it on the mark. The only thing missing is action of council. This whole thing wouldn’t have happened if one vote on council shifted in favor of Boden. That vote would have had to come from Gassman or Smith as they were the only supposed fence sitters. Who knows what Smith is thinking about or if he is thinking at all. He won’t talk to anyone. But I’m dissappointed in Gassman who had a record of reasonable conduct on the council. I’m still hopeful that he might see his views change as the proportion of this catastrophe to the Clinton community comes to light.