Committee doesn't recommend town manager
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

Council Member Bill Kindel left office without seeing one of his goals accomplished: implementation of a town manager position.

He supported a resolution in February 2007 to change local law to create the position. The board did not support that motion but instead amended it to be reviewed by the Government Study Committee.

At the Dec. 17 work session, Chairman Marshal Wood said the Government Study Committee reviewed the proposal and recommended that the town not add the position.

"We anticipate a tremendous resistance to the implementation of a policy or program that is likely to cost taxpayers money, unless that program results in significant benefits," Wood said.

The committee also concluded that Amherst is unlikely to see a significant benefit to the town manager form of government.

The purpose of a town manager is to allow the Town Board to focus on policy-making while the manager takes on the responsibility for day-to-day administration.

Wood said the committee found that the benefit of the manager handling that role wasn't significant enough to overcome the other negative impacts, such as additional expense and putting power in the hands of an unelected official.

"Another problem with the town manager form of government is the difficulty a town manager would have in administration of day-to-day town operations because two key departments are headed by elected officials; not department heads serving at the pleasure of the manager," the report stated. "If the town manager is not the entity to whom the town clerk and highway superintendent report, the supposed benefit of smooth day-today administration will also not be achieved."

Wood said in the committee's opinion, the most difficult issue to overcome with the town manager form of government is the level of suspicion among the population for political tricks.

"We are in an era in which the electorate is concerned with patronage and politics as usual," he said.

Wood added that because the manager is hired by the board and not directly accountable to the electorate, it is likely that residents would fear that this form of government would quickly degenerate into a political ally employment program.

"Because it is unlikely other supposed benefits of the town manager form of government will be achieved, this concern is unlikely to be outweighed," he said.

Kindel said 84 million people live under this form of government in the United States, and he hopes Amherst will one day do so.

When he pushed for the position, Kindel said professionals should handle day-to-day business, including accounting, bill paying and handling contracts.

He said the misunderstanding in connection with the position is that power is taken away from the supervisor, which is not the case.

"The supervisor could do more overall viewing of the bigger picture," he said in February. "This is an attempt to build a professional foundation. The supervisor would continue to lead the town."

Following the GSC's report, the Town Board did not voice any action it planned to take.