Power to Fire General Managers
* As a former Los Angeles general manager, I have been amazed that the elected charter commission is even considering a proposal giving the mayor authority to fire department heads (Dec. 11).
It has been my experience that, with a very few exceptions, the mayor’s personal contact with a department or bureau head is extremely limited and insufficient to form a valid opinion as to that person’s managerial capabilities. As a result, the termination of a general manager will most likely be the result of either a single incident in which the manager has disagreed with the mayor or, more likely, conflicts between the manager and the mayor’s staff. Since mayoral staffs are usually rife with inexperienced individuals, each vying to prove his or her worth in a temporary political job, such conflicts with other than the most subservient general manager are inevitable. A termination caused by either one of these situations is an abuse of power. The people of L.A. deserve a better management system.
PATRICK D. HOWARD
Director, Bureau of Street
Maintenance (1987-1997)
Silverdale, Wash.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
