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0 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 Mother of alleged shooter says she lived in fear ... New Medford police station almost ready for action ... Medford mayor vetoes Patridge as city manager ... Mother of alleged shooter says she lived in fear ... New Medford police station almost ready for action ... Medford mayor vetoes Patridge as city manager ... OUR VIEW Our View: City manager selection was opaque Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 29, 2016 at 9:34 AM Updated Jul 29, 2016 at 9:50 AM Posted Jul. 29, 2016 at 9:34 AM Updated Jul 29, 2016 at 9:50 AM » Social News Regardless of Rob Patridge's suitability as a city manager, the City Council's selection process fell far short of the transparency Medford residents deserve from their elected leaders. In a series of closed-door meetings stretching for weeks, the council maintained complete silence with the public as a series of important developments occurred that would influence the eventual decision to offer Patridge the job. Oregon law permits news reporters to attend executive sessions in the interest of keeping elected officials honest, but they may not report what occurs in those sessions as long as the proceedings involve one of several specific exemptions to the state's public meetings law. One of those exemptions is the hiring of a chief executive officer. It's important to note that while the law says the council may hold such sessions in private, nowhere does it say it must. The three finalists for the job visited Medford for interviews and to meet the public on June 7. After that, nearly a month went by before the public learned that Patridge was to be offered the job — and then only because city staff published the fact in a meeting notice, apparently in error. Key pieces of information remained shrouded in secrecy as the closed-door meetings went on: The public was not told that the council's top choice, retired Casa Grande, Ariz., city manager James Thompson, had withdrawn until after Patridge was selected. The council still has not said why he withdrew, except that it happened after he returned to Medford for a second visit. Many members of the public also had no idea of the deep division on the council over choosing Patridge until a July 19 Mail Tribune story reported on information that had leaked from the executive sessions and was being widely discussed in the community. Council members knew — because Mayor Gary Wheeler had told them — that he intended to use his veto power to block Patridge if the council voted to appoint him. But the public didn't know that until the mayor announced it in a public meeting on July 21, when the council voted 5-3 to approve Patridge's contract, revealing the deep division over the choice. Finally, the consulting firm the city hired to review all candidates for the job issued a list of applicants with a "yes" by the names of those who met the qualifications and a "no" next to those who did not. The Mail Tribune had to file a formal public records request to obtain the document after the city declined to release it. District Attorney Beth Heckert, empowered under state law to review disputed requests, ruled the document was public and directed the city to release it. Of the three finalists selected by the council, Johnson and Jon Amundson, assistant city manager in Richland, Wash., were designated "yes." Patridge received a "no." The council owes the public an explanation of why it chose to elevate to finalist status someone its own search firm said was not qualified. Patridge may be the best choice remaining, or he may not. But the process to this point is hardly likely to inspire public confidence. The image of council members meeting behind closed doors for months without keeping their constituents up to date on important developments and then making what would seem an improbable choice has prompted comments that a "good old boy" network is running the city. In the July 21 council meeting, Councilor Chris Corcoran, a Patridge supporter, took exception to that characterization. "If someone knows where and when they meet, please let me know," Corcoran said. "I would really like to meet them." He could have saved some time by looking down the dais. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 29, 2016 at 9:34 AM Updated Jul 29, 2016 at 9:50 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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