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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW EMERGENCY SERVICES ... Gap fire eclipses 17,500 acres but is slowed by cooler, moist marine air ... Judge tells driver in Medford shooting he learned 'a nasty little lesson' ... EMERGENCY SERVICES ... Gap fire eclipses 17,500 acres but is slowed by cooler, moist marine air ... Judge tells driver in Medford shooting he learned 'a nasty little lesson' ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Back to Square 1 on city manager search Comment By Jan Esquivel MailTribune.com By Jan Esquivel Posted Jul. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Jan Esquivel Posted Jul. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News One way to tell when an individual has been in office too long is when you watch them do something that only a bureaucrat would do. The city of Medford is experiencing that today as I write this letter. The City Council has spent 13 months looking for a new city manager. Thirteen months of paying a headhunter group money to find a new employee. Thirteen months of meetings, dinners, interviews and long discussions to only come to the position that a bureaucrat is going to make the decision for them. I sat in the council chambers and listened to all eight of the council members praise the qualifications of their choice — Rob Patridge. Many had intelligent, encouraging things to say about Rob and all his qualifications for the position. How Medford needed a man of the time for the job — someone who understood the area, loved the city, knew how the council and city manager operates and has the skills to bring together city, county and state officials — but wait! It seems that three of the members — after saying great things about Rob — thought the longtime staff deserved someone different; thought they should have someone who had spent some time in a city manager’s position; thought that the system they were using was flawed — after 13 months they bring that up! So the council voted twice — Thursday night in their regularly scheduled meeting and again on Friday at noon at a special meeting — to reach the same decision: 5-3 in favor of confirming the employment agreement with Rob Patridge. So where does the bureaucrat come in? Stand aside, folks, here comes the mayor. That would be your mayor, Gary Wheeler, who intends — and he stated so — to use his veto power against a majority of the council members you and I voted for. That means they are headed back to Square 1! Rob has agreed to take this job at the salary offered which, according to Councilman Dick Gordon’s report, is considerably less than comparable cities pay their managers. Rob is aware he has a bit of a learning curve for the job and is excited about the challenge, but is certainly ahead of anyone from out of the area that doesn’t begin to understand Medford. Rob Patridge is more than qualified for this position. Wheeler, however, will veto the council’s decision and the process will begin again. Perhaps if Bureaucrat Wheeler gets his way, the city of Medford will be able to hire someone from out of the area who knows nothing of Medford, at a much higher salary because his resume looks better to a minority of the council members, to do a job that would be handled extremely well by one of our very own homegrown success stories. Speaking from experience, Medford city managers in the past have not worked well with Jackson County officials or their locally elected state representatives. Rob Patridge has the capability, the connections and the know-how to bring these entities together so they are all working on the same page for the betterment of our city. However, Wheeler sees no advantage there. Wheeler stated in the noon meeting on Friday that it was time for Medford to change. Well, I agree. It is time to have our councilmen learn how to form a consensus and work for the betterment of our community — and it is time change out the mayor. Just a little side note: The Medford city charter reads that the city manager’s position, when vacated, will be filled within one year — that’s 12 months! Seems our council, with the help from Wheeler, stands in violation of the city charter and the citizens of Medford. Jan Esquivel lives in Medford. By Jan Esquivel MailTribune.com By Jan Esquivel Posted Jul. 26, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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