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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 Another lawyer drops Stop 'n Go murder suspect ... Agencies investigate string of Greenway fires ... Rogue River man gets prison for shooting at newspaper carriers ... Another lawyer drops Stop 'n Go murder suspect ... Agencies investigate string of Greenway fires ... Rogue River man gets prison for shooting at newspaper carriers ... OUR VIEW Our View: Medford council running out of options Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 24, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Medford Mayor Gary Wheeler is right when he calls the selection process for a new city manger "flawed." He may also be right that the council is "broken." But Wheeler's decision to veto the selection of Rob Patridge effectively completes the process of painting the council into a corner. It is hard to know if Patridge is the best choice, although he has the vocal support of a distinguished list of former council members and others in the community. But he may well be the best choice remaining. The city undertook a yearlong search for a new chief executive after City Manager Eric Swanson was fired last year over his management style and his inability to get along with the council. Deputy City Manager Bill Hoke stepped in as acting city manager, but the city charter prohibits any individual from serving as a temporary city manager for longer than a year, and Hoke's time ran out. Finance Director Alison Chan is now filling the job, and her time is limited, too. If Wheeler follows through with his veto, starting over with a new search would therefore be constrained by time, not to mention the likelihood that strong candidates would be more likely to pass on applying once they learned of the city's already failed process. Choosing another of the three finalists might also be a possibility, except that the previous top choice, retired city manager Jim Thompson of Casa Grande, Ariz., withdrew his application after traveling here for an interview. That leaves the council's third choice, Jon Amundsen, an assistant city manager from Richland, Wash. Settling for the third choice would hardly be a ringing endorsement of Amundsen, who in turn could hardly be blamed if he declined to take the job under those circumstances. Wheeler may feel he has to make good on his threat, having declared his intention to veto Patridge. But that could well leave the city's image seriously damaged. Patridge is not a traditional choice for the job, having no experience managing an entity anywhere nearly as large and complex as a city of nearly 80,000 people. But he does bring strengths that have been lacking in the two previous city managers. Mike Dyal was a famously top-down, my-way-or-the-highway manager, and Swanson, who had a military background, had a similar approach, according to the council members who supported his ouster. Patridge, in contrast, is an affable sort with a much more collaborative style. He says he can build consensus and heal divisions, and we have no reason to doubt that. Patridge also says he is committed to openness and transparency in city government. We have found that to be true in our dealings with him over the years, and would welcome more of the same. Patridge has come in for plenty of criticism from city residents who see him as a continuation of an insular, exclusive group of city leaders who think alike and don't listen to dissenting voices. But he also has the support of eight former city council members who praise him as "honest, fair, transparent and collaborative" and say he has the skills to do the job. If he has not already, Wheeler should hear out these community leaders and consider what they have to say before making the final decision to issue a veto. It may well be that Patridge is, if not the ideal candidate, the best one available now and for the foreseeable future. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Jul. 24, 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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