The $261,940 Man --- Maybe He's The Guy Who'll Get Us Unstuck, Part II

From the SN-L: How Burris emerged as the top choice.

Frequent bus riders may recall this post from July. I had thought that Evelyn Honea might be on the short list. She wasn't but according to search committee members quoted in the SN-L story referenced above, my other name, Dan Wichmer, was. I see Colin Quigley made the short list. I met him while I was attending the City Academy.

In a related article, the SN-L's Wes Johnson chronicles the City Council's spirited debate on the selection of Burris.

Despite his lack of government experience, Councilman Ralph Manley said he had no doubt Burris "had more talent and management skills than the other two."
"He has phenomenal people skills -- he's not someone who wants to lord over others," Manley said.

Mayor Pro Tem Gary Deaver said he thought Stevens and Myers "grossly underestimated the challenges" of solving the city's police/fire pension fund, which is facing a shortfall of at least $140 million.

Councilwoman Cindy Rushefsky, the only council member to vote against Burris, said the council discussions behind closed doors were lively and intense...
"Do you want a caretaker or a risk taker?" she recalled.
"If we're looking for somebody to get us out of a crisis budget, then look for somebody safer, a known quantity," she said. "I frankly did want us to get someone who could get us through this budget crisis safely."

Councilman Doug Burlison agreed with Rushefsky that various candidates seemed to be front runners at different points in the interview process.
"You know the 'Whac- A-Mole' game? It seemed to be similar to that," he said.

Councilman John Wylie declined to reveal anything about the closed-door discussions.

Despite repeated attempts, Mayor Tom Carlson could not be reached for comment.

The third largest city in the state is governed by a volunteer mayor and a volunteer city council.