On Monday evening, the City Council took action on whether to confirm the appointment of Martin Puckett of Presque Isle as the deputy city manager.
Given the deadline for submittal to the paper at the time of writing this article, I know not the outcome of their decision. While I am hopeful that his appointment was confirmed, I opted to write about the position without certain knowledge of the outcome.
A legitimate question that has been discussed by many is why are we adding this position at a time when there are reductions going on? It is that question that will be addressed in this week’s article. Further, since the position was funded in the budget, it continues on the recent week’s discussions about the 2012 budget.
During the annual goal-setting process at the beginning of 2011, the City Council instructed me to find a way to create a deputy city manager position. The members of the Council at the time were very experienced, with upwards of 25 years of combined experience on the Council. Some of the members had over a decade of serving on the Council. In providing that direction, they also made it clear that the position should not be merely an addition. They desired the position to be worked in with the other kinds of organizational changes that were being made. It was also very clear that the City Council would not support a budget that included any kind of a tax increase. Hence, the position would need to be funded from existing revenue sources.
Over the last two years, the Council has directed this office to evaluate all aspects of municipal government. With tremendous pressures on the revenues the city receives, “business as usual” could not be the marching orders. Reducing the annual expenditures with minimal impacts on the services citizens receive became a clear objective. To effectively accomplish this task, it would require addressing the number and types of positions the City employed, given that a large portion of the municipal budget is directly related to the employment of employees.
Changes have been made. In terms of the numbers and financial impacts, the changes have been significant. Of the 105 full-time jobs that existed in 2009, 12 of those positions have been totally eliminated predominantly through attrition. In addition, nine positions have been reduced. Of the 11 department heads that existed, four have been eliminated or downgraded. In total, 31 of the total positions in the city have been impacted through the changes over the last two years. Financially, when including the additional pay for the new deputy city manager and other increases, the annual budget has been reduced by $720,614. That savings will continue to be repeated annually translated into a savings of $1.36 on the property tax rate.
Many of the changes have been made with little fanfare. Most have been done smoothly and without citizens even recognizing the changes beyond the fact that their property tax bills did not change. To provide an example, prior to 2010, the city used sworn police officers to work as dispatchers for 16 of the 21 shifts each week. With a shift to public safety dispatchers for those positions instead of sworn law enforcement officers, the city not only saved money (because of lower pay, less training and liability insurance) it also increased the efficiency.
The position of the deputy city manager accomplishes three major goals. First, he will oversee and actively replace the reduced personnel in two of the departments where changes have occurred, including acting as the department head for those departments. Second, he will assist in the overall direction and management of the municipal government. Finally, he will be the clear second in command within the operation with the clear expectation to become the next city manager whenever that day may come.
In concluding the article, it would be appropriate to provide some very limited background on Mr. Puckett. As mentioned earlier, he and his wife (an Aroostook County native) are currently residents and homeowners in Presque Isle. He has served as a town manager for a couple of different communities since 2000. He currently serves, since 2008, as the manager for Castle Hill, Chapman and Mapleton. He is well respected among his peers, often being asked to serve in leadership roles. He is currently vice president of the Maine Town and City Management Association and will soon serve as its president. He is currently the president of the Aroostook Municipal Association. He also serves on the board of directors for the Maine Municipal Association Health Trust. He holds a master’s degree in public administration. He will be an excellent addition to the management team of the city.
Jim Bennett is Presque Isle’s city manager. He can be reached at 760-2785 or via e-mail at jbennett@presqueisleme.us.
