Dereliction of duty: Council misses key responsibility
Richard C. Rossi
The selection of Cambridge’s city manager is one of the most important functions of the City Council. The nine members of the current council failed in this duty. The council reneged on its commitment for a thoughtful, inclusive, public process over the past fall to choose a new city manager and instead gave a three-year term to Richard C. Rossi, who had been outgoing City Manager Robert W. Healy’s chief deputy, in a hastily arranged handover in December.
The city manager directs all day-to-day operations of city government. The manager has hiring and firing authority, direct or indirect, over many hundreds of people. While the council ultimately deliberates on and passes budgets and zoning ordinances, the city manager and his employees create the initial documents and guide the policy process. For the past decade, it has been the manager, not the council, who has been the primary driver of policy.
Given the position’s power and importance, the council should have a ready-to-go plan to handle a vacancy. This council did not. In skipping a public process, the council may have chosen the wrong person. Yet, even if Mr. Rossi is the right choice – and he could be – the council did him no favors. Instead of helping Mr. Rossi begin his tenure with the unified support of the city, the council rushed him into place, beginning his tenure with amateur hour at the council and a message for Cantabrigians: Public input is not wanted.
From goal-setting to running public searches and inviting community participation, it is not difficult to envision what a good manager selection process might look like. There are ample resources available, including executive search firms, whose expertise could be drawn on. Surely the council can do better.
Peace Be Unto You,
Dear Citizens and Residents of Cambridge,MA,
The citizens and residents of Cambridge allowed Mr. Healy to serve as city manager for a questionable period of 30 years or more. Currently,the citizens and residents of Cambridge,MA has been stuck with another highly questionable appointment, that of Mr.Rossi as city manager.It definitely wasn’t the only legal option available for the job.Voting member of Cambridge, MA city council,committed a grave mistake and were wrong,in its jumping the gun to confirm Mr.
Rossi’s appointment as city manager.The legal
rights of others were circumvented,their rights to apply and compete,for the position was completely trashed by the voting members of the city council. A blatant and outright violation(s)of The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution,that each contains a Due Process Clause, violated by this appointment.Secondly, going forth with this matter was also a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act,Section 501,504,and 505 of the rehabilitation Act.I’m certain that other federal,state,and local laws were violated by the Cambridge city council’s, questionable haste to confirm the appointment of MR.Rossi.It all add up to a miscarriage of justice.
No official answers were supplied to the public, as to why the city elected officials acted in such a hasty fashion to circumvent and cut corners,in its selection of a new city manager.Last time they tried to circumvent an important community
concern/issue(s),it cost the tax payers here millions of dollars in law suits.Justice must prevail in the selection of Cambridge’s city manager.It wasn’t right to finalize the equation on December 3, 2012.,at the city council meeting.
This miscarriage of justice was finalized at the
city council meeting, causing the violation of federal,state.I’m talking about laws such as those of a civil rights nature,equal employment right for Black Americans,people of color,minorities, women,poor citizens,the disabled,and others who have a legal right to be considered for the position of city manager etc.To many question still remains unanswered about the Cambridge,MA city council taking a vote,without the full participation of its citizens in the process of determining the future of Cambridge,MA,so prematurely on December 3, 2012.The nine members of the city council proceeded and succeeded,in it’s short sightedness in executing a fashion of Kangarooing its citizenry and residents.
Therefore,If justice doesn’t finally prevail,and true dignity and ethics not restore to the city managers selection process,then it will go down as one of the most pitiful moments in the history of Cambridge, MA.
Yours In Peace
Mr.Hasson J.Rashid